Roads
by anne-bellee
Summary: "Life is full of difficult decisions. It's a long road, but no matter what, things always have a way of working themselves out." - Modern AU. Katniss has never been one for love. And when her marriage with Gale Hawthorne becomes unstable, she does what she does best, runs. But what happens when an unexpected occurrence becomes a sudden problem? - Everlark
1. Chapter 1

_Life is full of difficult decisions. It's a long road, but no matter what, things always have a way of working themselves out._

* * *

"The thing is, Gale. I don't think I want to fix this marriage." I stare at him from across the table, my hands clasped tightly together. "I just don't think it's going to work."

"Katniss, what are you talking about? Of course it's going to work. I love you." I cringe at his sudden outburst of affection. If only he'd always been this attentive towards me. He reaches across the table, attempting to take my hands into his, but I pull away, placing my hands in my lap.

"Don't pull away from me, Catnip." He sighs and shifts in his seat. "I love you. You know that I love you. Why can't you see that?" I stare at the ground, avoiding his fervent gaze.

"Gale…" I start, trying to talk through the lump that has formed in my throat. "I can't see it, because I don't feel it." His gaze hardens, and I look away, not being able to bring myself to look at him. "I loved you, Gale. I did. But I just can't do this anymore."

"Why can't you do it? Katniss, everything that I have done, I've done it for you."

"I didn't ask for this, Gale. I didn't ask for you to work eighty-hour weeks for me. You're never home anymore. And when you are, it's all about your work, even then, and I don't want to do it anymore." I look up at him, then, and study his face. His eyes are downcast, and his hands are firmly wrapped around his now cold coffee mug. I watch his eyes before they finally meet mine.

"Katniss, I don't understand." His eyes harden before looking into his coffee cup. "I love you." I flinch at that, those words cut like a knife. Those three little words that used to bring me so much joy, now form knots in my stomach. I feel nothing now. Nothing for him.

"Gale, I want a divorce." His eyes snap up to mine, hard, cold.

"A divorce? Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes, Gale. A divorce." I wait for his response. He sits there, motionless, staring at the table. I have a sinking feeling at the pit of my stomach when he returns my gaze.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. A divorce, Katniss? Is this really what you want?" I let his words process in my head. Is this really what I want? Five years of marriage down the drain?

"Yes." I reply flatly. He runs his hands through his hair and stares at his lap. I can tell he's thinking, because he remains silent for what feels like ages. When he finally looks back up at me, his expression is full of grief.

"Katniss, we can fix this, we can." He says, taking my hands in his. I allow it.

"I'll do whatever you want. I'll work fewer hours, I'll take you out more, hell, I'll even quit my job." I cringe, and I choke back the bile that I can feel rising up in my throat.

"No, Gale. That's not what I want. I don't want you to do those things. And I wouldn't ask you to quit your job." I say, taking my hands back from his and laying them in my lap. I look away, anywhere, to avoid looking at him right now.

"I'm not happy." I finally say, holding back tears that threaten to spill. "I haven't been for a long time."

"But Katniss, I lo-"

"Please, don't." I cannot hear him say that anymore. Because if he really loved me, he would have been offering those things a _long_ time ago. But this is too far gone. I can't change anything now.

"Katniss-"

"Don't you get it?" I almost scream, but I try to keep my voice down to a reasonable level. "I don't want this anymore. I'm not happy, and I don't want this." How many times do I have to say it to get it through his head?

"Katniss, I don't want a divorce. I won't let you do this." He says, his eyes hard, fixated on mine. "We can fix this. I know we can."

"No, Gale. We can't."

* * *

It's still early afternoon before I arrive to the offices of _Coin&amp;Paylor Law associates_. It has been nearly a month and a half since Gale and I's last argument over this divorce, and I saw it going nowhere. So, I'm taking it upon myself to further move along the process. Gale still doesn't agree.

I walk into the building, and am immediately hit with the feeling of overwhelming sadness. As much as I want this, it's still an overly strenuous process, and I can already feel myself becoming lightheaded.

"Hello, how may I help you?" An overly happy red head sits at the reception desk, staring back at me with bright green eyes.

"Yes, um, I'm here to see Mrs. Paylor." I say, trying to ignore the fact that this lady is overly bubbly.

"Did you have an appointment?"

"Yes."

"Okay, she's waiting on you now. You can go ahead and go up to her office." I play with my cuticles nervously as I wait for the elevator to arrive to the correct floor. Once the door 'pings', I step out into the wide, empty hallway.

"Paylor, 331" I skim the doors until I find the correct one, and knock lightly.

"Come in." I open the door slowly before stepping all of the way inside and shutting the door behind me. "Oh, hello, Mrs. Hawthorne."

"Hello." I reply, not really sure what else to say. I walk over to the desk and shake her hand firmly before taking a seat in one of the plush leather chairs in front of her desk.

"I am under the impression that you would like to file up some divorce papers?" She says, keeping steady eye contact with me.

"Yes, I need to file for a 'dissolution of marriage'."

"And does your husband consent to this?" I laugh to myself, thinking of how much easier this would be if Gale would just act like an adult about this.

"Um, no. He won't." I say, directing my gaze at the floor. I twirl my thumbs together absentmindedly, keeping my eyes trained on the strange pattern on the carpet.

"Okay, then. You will need to go to court and issue that your marriage is 'irretrievable broken', assuming that neither of you has done anything wrong to warrant any further accusations." I nod slowly.

"So there's no way to avoid going to court?"

"Not unless your husband may consent to this, I'm afraid." I let her words sink in. Court. I'll have to go to court.

"Do you know how long this will take?"

"Well, depending on the circumstances, such as whether or not your spouse will sign any of the agreements, and whether or not you have any significant assent, ect..." I wait for her to finish, letting this all process.

I can't shake the overwhelming feeling of nausea that washes over me, and swallow hard, trying to avoid throwing up right here in her office.

"Okay, thank you." I say. I just want this to end.

"If that is everything you were looking for, I will have these papers drawn up for you as soon as I can, and I will contact you when they are ready." I thank her quickly before running out of the room. I go straight to the bathroom and heave up my breakfast.

I try to breath, _in out, in out. _It's going to be okay. _You're going to be okay. _

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and rinse my mouth out at the sink before walking out of the bathroom. I keep my head down until I'm out of the building. I rest my head against the steering wheel, trying to calm myself down.

I was going to go visit Prim at work, but instead, I opt to going home. I haven't been sleeping well anyways, might as well get as much rest as I can before I have to go back to my asshole of a boss.

When I pull into the driveway, I notice Gale's car. _What the hell is he doing home?_

Another wave of nausea hits me as soon as I walk through the door and see him. "Katniss, are you okay?" I ignore him and run straight to the bathroom.

I puke again, expelling everything and anything that I had left in my stomach. I rest my forehead against the cool surface of the toilet, trying to will myself not to puke again.

"Katniss?" I turn around to look at him, but I only get so much as a glance before I'm struck with another wave of nausea. At this point, I'm just dry heaving, having thrown up everything already.

"Are you okay…?" He's being cautious, keeping his distance from me. But he hands me a glass of water, and I chug it down. I throw that up too.

"I think I just need to rest. I'm probably just really stressed." I say, avoiding his direct eye contact. "I went to Coin and Paylor's today."

"What?"

"Gale, I told you I was going to move forward with this." I look at him, then, but he stares back at me with hard eyes.

"Katniss-"

"Gale I really can't discuss this with you right now. I really don't feel good." He reaches into the cabinet and soaks a washcloth with cold water, pressing it against my forehead.

"You don't feel hot. How long have you been feeling like this?" He asks, cradling my head in his hands while keeping the cold cloth pressed to my forehead. I allow it, only because I feel too weak to do it myself.

"I don't know, on and off for a few weeks." He looks at me as if I am going to break. Katniss Everdeen does not get sick.

"You know what? I'm fine. I'm just under a lot of pressure and-"

"Katniss, you're really pale, and look like you haven't slept in days." He says slowly, rubbing his thumb along my cheek. I try to swat his hand away, but he doesn't move. "Maybe you should go see Prim. Maybe she can check you out. I can drive you-"

"Gale, the hospital is for emergencies, this is probably just the flu."

"Well, I trust her more than I trust that Urgent Care down the street. I'll call her and let her know I'm bringing you, okay?" I nod my head, because I'm really not in the mood to argue.

I let him help me up, studying myself against the sink. He wraps his arm around my waist, helping me to the door. As much as I want to protest his gestures, I don't think I could make it to the car without him.

The drive to the hospital is relatively quiet. Gale doesn't try to talk to me, although he does chance a glance at me once in a while. I try to ignore his stares, not wanting him to get any ideas into his head that I may still want to fix this. I'm far past fixing this.

Once we get there, Prim meets me at the car. Her eyes widen and then soften, offering me her hands.

"Katniss are you okay?" She asks. Why is everyone asking me if I'm okay? Has nobody seen someone sick before?

"Um yeah, I think I might have the flu. I haven't been able to keep any of my food down today." I look to the ground and try not to think of my breakfast. I squeeze my eyes shut when she reaches out to me and wraps her arm around my waist to help me to the door.

"I'll be out here if you need me, Catnip."

* * *

"Katniss?" I open my eyes when I hear Prims voice echoing through the room. I try to sit up, but I'm connected to something, so fall back against the mattress.

"Why am I connected to an IV?" I ask quietly, my voice sounds raw.

"Well, as soon as I got you to my office, you passed out. I assumed it was because you hadn't eaten since you threw up all of your food this morning." Wait, assumed?

"What do you mean _assumed_?"

"I don't think I'm the right person to be telling you this." I chance a glance at the window of my room that looks into the hallway. I see Gale standing there talking to one of the doctors. He wears a look of panic.

"Prim, come on. You can tell me anything."

"No, Katniss. It's not my place to tell you this." She looks away from me, and walks towards the door. "I'll tell Dr. Aurelius that you're awake." Confusion washes over me. I watch the exchange between Prim and the doctor, and then look to Gale, whose eyes connect to mine almost instantaneously. I watch as his eyes soften once they meet mine.

Dr. Aurelius walks into the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Gale still stands in the hallway, staring at me through the warped glass.

"Hello, Mrs. Hawthorne. I'm Doctor Aurelius, how are you feeling?" His tone is so calm that it makes my blood run cold.

"I'm a little bit confused." I admit, moving my eyes from Gale's to meet my doctors. "Why won't anyone tell me anything?"

"Oh, Prim was just following orders. It's a rule that patients cannot receive information from a relative that is working here, that information must come from one of their supervisors. And that's me." He gives me a small smile before continuing. "Are you aware of your current condition?"

"My current condition?" I start to panic. I feel as if I can't breathe, like I'm being help underwater.

"Oh, no. It's nothing serious, Mrs. Hawthorne. It's rather good news, really." I let out the breath that I didn't even know I was holding.

"You're pregnant, Mrs. Hawthorne."

* * *

**Oh man, you guys have no idea how long I have wanted to write a story like this. I'm really truly excited to be writing about this. I've had this story idea stuck in my head for ages now, and I'm so excited to finally be putting it out for you all to read. I really hope you all like it. And, like my other stories, of course it will have Everlark. We just have to get there. Slowly, but surely.**

**Anyways, I really hope you all enjoy this story! Reviews are greatly appreciated, and definitely let me know what you guys want to see happen in these stories! I listen to your suggestions, believe it or now, so go ahead and leave reviews! Your suggestion just might be in the next chapters!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Pregnant?" I stammer, unable to form words.

"But, I-I can't be pregnant. I-" But then it hit's me. The recent months leading up to my conclusion of wanting a divorce, sex has always felt like a job. Like the only reason I was doing it was to perform dutifully as a wife. It has always felt like a marital responsibility to me, instead of something I willingly wanted to do. So, when our recent anniversary rolled around, I gave in to the pressure.

I can't seem to find words. I feel like the world is closing in on me, and I can't breathe. And when my eyes meet Gale's through the glass, I break down. I can't have a baby. I've never wanted to be a mother. And I wasn't about to become one now. Everything was working, I filed the divorce papers, I even started making preparations to _move out_.

I choke when I try to talk, and I begin to have a coughing fit. I wave Dr. Aurelius away; I just want to be alone. He walks out the door, but Gale grabs it before it closes, and walks over to me in a few quick strides.

"Katniss-"

"Gale, I can't do this." I say, fighting back tears. "I can't have a baby? I-" His arms wrap around me, holding me close. He rubs my back, and I allow it. "Shh, Katniss. It's going to be okay. We can do this."

I look up at him, tears blurring my vision. "Gale, I don't want a baby. I don't want to do this. I-"

"Maybe this is what was supposed to happen. We can do this, we can raise this baby together." He rubs his thumb along my cheek, and I turn away, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"Gale, a baby is not a band-aid that can be used to fix a marriage." I keep my eyes closed, but he turns my face towards his. I look into his eyes, and all I can see is hurt.

"Katniss please, I love you. I really love you. I know that we can do this. You're so strong. So unbelievable strong." The tears are flowing freely now, and I can't seem to make my mind focus on anything. I'm so confused, and I don't know what to feel. My head starts to spin, and I suddenly become lightheaded. _This is all too much._

"Gale, I can't. I just can't." I keep repeating it over and over again, but he just hugs me tighter. I don't fight him about it, because honestly, I need someone to hold me so I feel grounded, and don't lose my mind.

We stay like that for I don't know how long, fighting and fighting and fighting. I don't want a baby. But Gale seems to think that his will help our marriage. He doesn't understand that this will only make things worse for us.

"Katniss please." He begs, pulling away to look closer at me. "Please, we can do this."

"No, I can't!"

"Katniss, I'm not going to let you do this. It's not just your decision. You can't do this." His face makes me heart wrench right out of my chest. His eyes are soft, but pleading. His hands are on my face now, holding me.

"I'm not letting you run away from your problems anymore." I feel hollow, like any feelings that I have ever had have just disappeared.

"I'm not running, Gale! I don't want to bring a baby into this." I gesture wildly around me, letting him know that this is not the kind of environment that I want to bring a child into. But I also have a sinking feeling of guilt, because this is never what I wanted. And he knows that. And if I'm being honest with myself, I still don't want it.

"We can't raise a baby, Gale. We can't. I-"

"Why Katniss? Why can't we? There isn't one god damn reason on this earth that we can't have this baby." He's hopeless, fearful. But I just can't do it.

"Don't you understand?" I'm yelling now. "I don't _want_ this. I don't want it."

"You're being selfish."

"Excuse me?"

"I know you've never wanted children, why do you think I never pushed you for them all these years?" He clenches his fists at his sides, backing away from me. "I never once pushed you to do this. Accidents happen, Katniss. And I know you don't want this. But you haven't even stopped to consider whether or not _I_ want this." I try to slide further into the bed. I just want to disappear. Because a part of me knows he's right.

"I'm sorry Gale, I just can't-"

"You can. You can, Katniss." He's pleading now. I can't look at him, it hurts so much. This is all so confusing. I'm not supposed to want this. I'm supposed to want to leave and move out and start all over again.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing myself to wake up from this god-forsaken nightmare. But when I open my eyes, it's all the same. _This is really happening._

Gale climbs into the hospital bed with me and just holds me. He holds me so tightly as if I'm going to disappear. His breath is hot on my neck, and I cringe. Why does this have to happen to me? _Why?_

"We can do this Katniss, we can." I close my eyes and let the tears fall. I don't want this. I don't want this. I don't want this.

* * *

It's been three weeks since I left the hospital, and I haven't gotten out of bed since. I have no desire to do anything. I don't move, I don't sleep; I don't do much of anything. I would contest to eating, but unfortunately I'm not only in charge of my own life anymore.

Gale has given me my space, though. He lets me have the bed, although not without argument, while he sleeps in our guest bedroom. I hardly ever see him anymore, except for when he comes in to say goodnight. But even then, I don't speak.

"Catnip." I don't respond, I just lay there, pretending to be asleep.

"Katniss. Please, talk to me, love." I almost gag.

"Katniss you can't stay in here forever. It's not good for you. You need to get out, move around. Do something." He moves over to sit next to me on the bed, and I try not to flinch when he reaches out to caress my face. I can feel him lightly tracing the outline of my face with one of his knuckles.

"What happened to us?" It's barely a whisper, but I catch it. He continues to lightly trace my face before ghosting his fingertips along my neck. He traces back up to my jaw, cradling my cheek in his hand. His affection turns my blood cold, but I allow it, for now.

"This is all happening so fast." He whispers. "I'm sorry." I visibly flinch at his words, and he notices. I finally open my eyes, meeting his.

"Katniss, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I did this to you." It hurts, hearing this come from him. "I know you never wanted this, and I'm sorry." I bury my face into the sheets, not wanting to meet his regretful gaze.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't enough for you, and that I didn't know what I had, until you were already gone. I'm sorry that you have to go through this, when you never even wanted this." I try not to let him see me cry. I hide my face further into the mattress. I have never felt this weak and vulnerable in my entire life, and I _hate_ him for it.

"I'm sorry we hadn't loved each other at the same time." I feel him shift to lie next to me, taking me into his arms. The arms that used to give me so much warmth, so much comfort, now only make me feel empty, and hollow. I feel nothing.

But, as he holds me tighter, a deep feeling of regret settles at the bottom of my stomach, and I can't shake the feeling. I bury my face into his chest and cry. I cry for god knows how long. And as the unforgiving sobs rack my body, Gale holds me close, running his hands throughout my hair.

I grip his shirt, holding him as tightly as I possibly can. Because I feel like if I were to let go, I would wither away to nothing. I'm in pain, so much pain, and I can't stop it. Everything hurts, and my eyes turn raw because of all the crying. I eventually settle into a more coughing and crying fit, which makes Gale hold my face and turn it up towards his.

"Katniss, you need to settle down, okay? You need to breathe." He holds my face in his hands, running his thumbs along my cheeks as to stop the flow of tears. "Please, take deep breaths. Calm down." But the more he tries to calm me down, the more hysterical I become.

I try to wiggle out of his grasp, pushing and shoving him until he finally lets go. "I can't breathe." I tell him, moving to the other side of the bed. I curl in on myself, facing away from him, and try to remember my breathing._ In, out. In, out._

"Katniss, it's going to be okay." He reaches out and touches my shoulder, but I shake his hand off. "Stop."

"Katniss-"

"Stop telling me that it's going to be okay, because it's not." _It will never be okay._

* * *

Hours must have passed, because when I open my eyes, it's dark outside. There's an insistent knocking at the front door, and I feel Gale release his hold on me and leave the room. But it's not Gale who returns.

"Katniss?" I roll over in bed to look at her. "Prim?" I pull the covers closer to me and grip them as tight as I can.

"Katniss, will you please talk to me?" Her eyes meet mine, but I squeeze them shut. I don't feel like seeing anyone. And I sure as hell don't feel talking to anyone about this goddamn pregnancy.

"Katniss, please. You can't shut me out too. Not again." _Not again._

When our father died of stage 3 brain cancer ten years ago, I was sixteen years old, and Prim was only twelve. Our mother left us, leaving us to stay with our uncle, Haymitch. But we might as well have been living alone, since he was drunk all of the time anyways. But I wasn't normal, and nothing was ever going to be normal again, or at least that's what I told myself. I would never be normal again. I shut everyone out. I didn't speak to anyone for months, the only time being was when I had to work, and go to school. Prim was the one who took care of me, despite not even being able to work or take care of herself.

But I did everything that I could for her, after that. I worked day and night to save up enough money so she could go to college, and eventually, medical school. She ended up getting a full ride to a university, so I used the money for me to finish out college, so I could really start taking care of her.

But now, it was her turn to take care of me.

"Katniss, please talk to me." I keep my eyes squeezed shut.

"Damnit Katniss!" I open my eyes, then, and watch her walk over to me. I'm clutching the blanket so hard that my knuckles turn white. She sits on the edge of the bed and moves some hair out of my face.

"Katniss, please. You need to talk to me." Her tone is a little gentler now, but I can still sense her anguish.

"I don't want to talk to anyone right now. I really just want to be left alone."

"Katniss, lying her all day isn't going to make anything different. It's not going to change anything." I don't care. I don't care. I don't care.

"I don't care."

"I don't understand, Katniss." She pauses before taking a deep breath. "I know you never wanted this, believe me, I know. I never even imagined that you would ever even get married, let alone love again." I look up at her now, tears pricking at my eyes.

"But the thing is, you can't change the past, and you can't change the present. But you _can_ change the future. You can be happy, Katniss, you can."

"I don't love him." Her expression changes to one of pure dissolution.

"What?"

"I don't love him, Prim. I thought I did. And at one point, I believe that I did. I really did. But-" I choke on my words, clearing my throat of the sudden lump that has formed there. "But I just don't anymore. And I'm not blaming him completely. I think that…I just think that some people just…fall out of love."

"I'm sorry…" She doesn't say anything else. Why should she? She just sits there and holds me.

"What are you going to do?" She finally asks. "I mean, are you still asking for a divorce…?"

"I don't know, Prim. I honestly don't know." I shut my eyes, not wanting to admit it to myself that I still want a divorce. It just feels like I'm being selfish, getting a divorce while you're expecting a baby.

"Well, let me take your mind off of it." She grabs my hand and stands up, bringing me out of the bed with her. "A new restaurant just opened up downtown, and I want to take you. It will be nice, okay?"

"A restaurant, Prim? I don't want to go out, let alone dress up and go out."

"Katniss, you need to get out. You have been in bed for almost three weeks. So, I'm taking you out, my treat." I sigh, rolling my eyes. I really don't feel like going anywhere.

"What about Gale?"

"Forget about him for now. He's going out with his brother Rory and a bunch of guys tonight." I look at the ground. I feel sick to my stomach. "Don't worry about it." I feel like I don't have very much say in the matter.

"Do I have to wear a dress to this place?" I ask, hoping to god that I don't have to dress up. I feel sick, and huge, and I'm not even showing much yet, almost not at all.

"Absolutely, you do."

* * *

When we first arrive at the restaurant, the first thing I notice is the exterior. It's beautiful, with, what looks like, brand new red brick, with black French doors and accents. It's the epitome of upper class.

That's one of the only reasons that I allowed Prim to dress me tonight. I didn't want to look like a fool wearing pants to a place like this. She put me in an above the knee length dark green, loose fitted dress with long sleeves, and a modestly plunging neckline. I'm wearing a pair of her nude heels, along with a pain of skin colored, sheer tights, to accommodate the cold, November air.

When we walk inside, I'm automatically assaulted by the most amazing aroma. It smells like French bread and wine. By far the most amazing smelling restaurant I have ever been to.

"Welcome to Le' Chantecler. Will it be just you two dining tonight?" Prim nods, and the blonde, beautiful, and very friendly receptionist leads us to a table in the middle of the restaurant.

"Annie will be your waitress for this evening, and my name is Madge, if you need anything. Enjoy your meal." I smile at her before she leaves.

"Prim, this is ridiculous. There's no way we can afford this." She just rolls her eyes at me, waving me off.

"It's not like I do this all of the time. I'm doing this for you. I wanted to do something nice, to get your mind off of things." I sigh, taking a sip of my water. I decide to try to enjoy as much of this night as I can. Because the rest of my life is going to be hell.

"I-"

"Hello, my name is Annie, and I'll be your waitress for this evening," Annie sets down a wicker basket filled with complementary bread, or buns, that has melted cheese dripping along the top, and down the sides. My mouth waters just at the sight of them.

"I'll give you two a few minutes to decide what you want, but if I may recommend the Chef's Special for this evening, which is the Duck Terrine, with a warm foie gras with mango chutney, and a salad with caviar." I don't even know what half of that means.

"Thank you, but we will be needing a few extra minutes." Prim says, sensing my discomfort.

"That's fine, I'll be right back." She smiles the widest smile I have ever seen before walking away and going to another table. I run my fingers through my hair and hide my face in my hands. Why did I think this is a good idea? I feel completely stupid and out of place here.

"Katniss, you need to relax." I take my head out of my hands and look at my sister. Sweet, beautiful Prim, always wanting others to be happy. Why can't I be like her, always smiling and full of life?

"You need to start enjoying life at some point."

"I'm sorry Prim. I'm trying, I really am." It's so hard to enjoy your life when you know it's about to dramatically change.

"You know that no matter what happens, I'm going to be here for you, right?" I smile and swallow my tears. I will not ruin this night because I couldn't keep my stupid fucking emotions in control. "I love you, okay? You can get through this. You're the strongest person I know."

"Thank you, Prim. I needed that." She smiles at me with those wide eyes of hers. "You always know how to cheer me up." I laugh, taking another sip of water before looking at my menu.

"I don't even know what half of this food is on here." Prim says, pointing around the menu. "The only thing I recognize is the cheese-stuffed lamb and duck." I grimace, and my stomach turns into knots. Nothing sounds appetizing at this point.

"I might just play it safe and get a salad. I don't know how my stomach would react to any new foods right now." I close the menu and set it aside. I grab my stomach when a sudden feeling of nausea overwhelms me.

"You okay?" Prim asks, looking towards my stomach where my hand rests. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" I nod my head in response, getting up out of my chair and making my way towards the bathroom, wherever that is.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where the bathroom is?" I ask one of the nearest waiters, and he points towards the back of the building. I half run, half walk, getting there just in time before throwing up into the porcelain toilet.

I throw up three more times before I hear Prim enter the bathroom. "Are you okay, Katniss?" I push my way out of the stall and wash my mouth out with water. "Yeah, I'm fine now."

"I ordered your salad for you, if you still feel like eating it." She gives me a sympathetic look before pulling me into a hug.

"You're going to be okay." I sigh into her shoulder before pulling away.

We make our way back to our table. Our food arrives just a few minutes after we sit down.

"I hope you enjoy your meal. Thank you for dining with us." Our waitress, Annie, gives us a small smile before disappearing. I stare down at my salad, suddenly loosing all sense of appetite.

"You don't have to eat it." Prim says, motioning towards my plate. "I can take it home, I'll eat it tomorrow." I smile at her, and push the plate away.

"I'm sorry." I mutter, looking at the ground. "I completely ruined this night for us." I cross my arms over my stomach, staring disapprovingly at my barely visible belly.

"You didn't ruin anything. I'm just happy you agreed to come with me. This place is so nice, and you needed to get out of that house." She smiles at me, raising her fork to her mouth. She sighs, staring at me with wide eyes. "Oh my god, this is amazing." Her eyes roll into the back of her head, and she nods her approval.

"At least you're enjoying yourself." I let out a small laugh while I watch her amusingly.

"Next time we come here, you're ordering this." She says, pointing to her plate. "I want to meet the son of a bitch that made this amazing creation."

"That would be me." Both of our eyes shoot up, staring back into the bluest eyes that I have ever seen.

"I'm Peeta Mellark, owner, and head chef." He smiles at me with the whitest, most beautiful smile that I have ever seen graced upon a human. And his blonde hair curls at the ends, falling just above his forehead. _And those eyes. _Those perfect blue-

"Oh, um, hello. This is fantastic." I look to Prim, who seems to be speechless. She just points to her plate, and I can't help but laugh at the silly exchange. Prim, always the smooth talker.

His eyes are suddenly on mine again before they drift down to my untouched plate. "Did you not enjoy your meal?" His voice is smooth like butter, but I catch the hint on sadness as he looks down at my plate.

"Oh, no- I-I mean, yes, I-" I take a deep breath, and try to regain my composure. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't feeling very well." He nods his head slowly, but his eyes never leave mine. I start to feel uncomfortable, so I decide to look away first.

"I'm sorry that you aren't feeling well. My very best wishes to you that you feel better." I nod my head. "If there is anything that I can do to make this a more pleasurable dining experience, please let me know." He smiles at Prim, and she smiles back. "Please, enjoy the rest of your meal." I finally release the breath I was holding, once he walks away.

"Wow." Prim says, taking another bite of her roast duck.

"What?"

"He was attractive." I almost spit my water onto the table.

"Prim!" I yell, wiping my mouth with my hand. But I can't shake the warm feeling that settles at the pit of my stomach. And I have to admit, he was pretty damn attractive. I push those feelings aside, though. I can't be thinking those things right now.

"What? Can I not find men attractive? Don't think I didn't catch you freezing up in front of him." I open my mouth to argue, but I quickly close it, because she's right. But I shove that short-lived, warm feeling to the deepest depths of my mind. Because I'm still married. And no matter how much I hate him right now, I would never betray Gale.

"Prim-"

"Don't ''Prim'' me. I'm not blind, Katniss." I glare at her, warning her to back off. "What?" She asks, glaring back at me.

"Prim, I'm really not in the mood for a lecture right now." She rolls her eyes and sighs. "Besides, I'm married, remember?" I hold my left hand up dramatically before slamming it back into my lap. She glances at me from above her wine glass.

"Doesn't mean you can't still look." My mouth falls open, and she smirks. _Damn you._

"Primrose Everdeen." I scold. "I know that I did not just hear those words come out of your mouth." I stare at her, watching her as she flips her hair behind her shoulder.

"What? You cannot honestly tell me that you did not catch him staring at you. He was like a deer in the headlights." She cracks a wide grin, but I'm speechless. _Was he really staring at me?_ I push that temporary excitement away. _You're married, damnit!_

"No, I didn't notice. And I really don't care. I'm married, oh, and not to mention, I'm pregnant." I take a deep breath and try to focus on breathing. I tuck my hair behind my ears before laying both my palms flat against the table. "Damnit." I say. I'm still in denial.

"It's okay, Katniss. I know." She sighs before wiping her hands with her napkin. "I know that it's hard for you right now. I was just trying to lighten the mood." I suddenly feel bad for snapping at her.

"No, I'm sorry Prim. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I ruined tonight." She looks at me, then.

"You didn't ruin anything, Katniss." She smiles before taking my hands in hers. "I'm glad I could help you get back on your feet, even if it was just for a little while." I smile at her. What would I do without her?

"Plus, you look really beautiful." I look at her and grin sheepishly. "No wonder tall, blonde, and handsome was staring at you."

"Prim-"

"I know, I know." She lifts up her left hand and dramatically points at her ring finger, "Married." She uses her tone that she uses to mock me, and I can't help but smile.

"Right." I say, rolling my eyes as she dramatically flips her hair behind her shoulder.

"Let's get you home, alright?" I nod my head and let her lead the way to the cashier. Prim hands the receptionist, Madge, our receipt, and pays the check. "Thank you." I whisper to her after she pays. There is no way that this wasn't ridiculously expensive.

As we are leaving, I catch sight of the man who came to our table earlier, Peeta. I can't help but notice the small smile he gives me before we walk back out to the car. Why do I feel warm all of the sudden? _No._ I think to myself. You cannot have feelings for this man. But, the longer I envision his face in my mind, I can't help the smile that plays on my lips at the thought of him.

"Katniss?" I'm snapped back into reality when I hear Prims voice from the other side of the car. She lifts up her hand again, a wide smirk splayed across her face.

"Married."


	3. Chapter 3

"Katniss, we're having a baby together."

"Gale, just because it's our baby, doesn't necessarily mean that we have to be together and be the ones who raise the baby." I argue, holding my hand out, making a point.

"But Katniss, don't you want it to be that way? Won't it be so much simpler?" I sit back in my chair, running my hands through my hair frustratingly. There's no getting anything through his thick skull.

"Of course I do, Gale. But things don't always go the way they are planned. And unfortunately, things aren't always that simple." I say. He glares at me, leaning forward in his chair and slamming his hands against the kitchen table.

"Damnit, Katniss!" I flinch at his sudden outburst, sinking further into my chair and crossing my arms defensively against my chest. "I want to be with you! I want to do this with _you._ I _love_ you."

"Gale, please. Don't do this. Please don't make me do this right now." I feel like I'm drowning. Like everything is closing in on me. This is so hard, and I don't know what to do.

"I'm doing this, Katniss. Because I want to be with you. I want to be with you, and raise our child together. Don't you understand that? I don't want a divorce." I cringe. Hearing all of this makes me feel so confused.

_Why couldn't he have been this into our marriage the whole time?_

"Gale…"

"No, Katniss. I'm tired of fighting with you about this." He says, pushing his chair back and standing up. "Don't you want what's best for our child?" He's screaming now, and I just want to disappear.

"Yes, Gale!" I stand up, now, using my hands to emphasize my words. "I do want the best for them. But honestly, I think the best thing would be for the parents to be happy. And I'm not happy here, Gale. I'm not happy anymore." I choke back the urge to cry. Damn him if he thinks I'm about to cry in front of him.

"I'm just not happy with you anymore."

"Why, Katniss?" He reaches out to grab my arm, but I twist away, holding myself around my waist.

"I don't know, Gale. I just don't know." I'm turned away from him, now, a single tear escaping from the corner of my eyes. "I'm sorry. I just can't do this anymore." I walk away before he can see me cry. I hear him yell something else, but I don't catch it. I run to our bedroom and slam the door shut behind me. I lock the door, and slide my back down it until I hit the floor, knees pulled up to my chest.

"Why me?" I mutter. _I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. _I think. But no, I hate _him._

Why can't anything good ever happen to me? One good thing, that's all I'm asking. But no, I'm damned.

I thought everything was finally falling into place. I had money saved up to move out, and I had filed for divorce. And I was ready to move on. I was so close, so damn close. But now I feel confused, like I don't know what the right thing to do is anymore.

_Do I still love him?_

_No._ I think. It's impossible. I'm too far gone to love him the way I used to.

"Katniss, honey, please open the door." Gale raps lightly on the door, his change in tone is noticeable. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." I don't say anything. I just sit there and wait for him to go away.

"Katniss, please." He sounds defeated. "I'm really sorry, baby. Please let me in. I need to talk to you." I cringe. I wish he would stop being so affectionate. It just confuses me more.

"Just go away, Gale. I really don't feel like talking to you right now."

"Katniss." He's begging now, knocking on the door again. "Please, let me fix this. I can fix this."

"No, Gale. You can't fix this."

"Yes I can, Kat-"

I swing the door open, standing right in front of him. I glare at him as hard as I can until he backs up a few inches.

"Why? Why now, Gale?" I ask, crossing my arms against my chest. "Why do you all of the sudden want to fix this? Where were you before this, huh?" I'm screaming now, but I don't stop.

"Why start caring now? Because I wasn't significant enough before all of this happened. Why start caring now?" I blink away tears, and try not to break down.

"Katniss-"

"No! You treated me like I was invisible for years, Gale! I felt like you didn't even care about me anymore. I was to a point where I thought you wouldn't even notice me if I just got up and left." I lower my voice now, taking on a more serious tone. "You can't just choose to start caring now."

"Katniss, I didn't know you felt this way. You never-"

"Don't you dare tell me that I never told you. I have been trying for months on end to get you to stop your work for five seconds, just to pay a _little_ bit of attention to me." He reaches out to touch my face, but I turn away.

"Please stop trying to touch me." I back away a few feet, putting a fair amount of distance between us.

"You're my wife, Katniss." He says, walking up to stand in front of me. I back away again, the back of my legs hitting the bed. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, but I turn my face away. He keeps his hand on the back of my head, his fingers intertwined into my hair.

"Please, stop." I grab his hand and push it away from me.

"Why can't I touch you, Katniss?" He asks, running his hand down the length of my arm. I shiver at the contact.

"Because it's confusing."

"Why? I'm your husband. I should be able to touch you." I fight back the urge to scream when he winds his hands around my waist, pulling me to him. "Come on, let's just forget about this whole thing." I try to push him away, but he doesn't budge, he just pulls me even tighter against him. I choke back tears as I push and shove him, trying to get him to let me go.

"Please, Gale. I can't do this."

"Of course you can." He kisses my neck, and I shiver. I squeeze my eyes shut, telling myself not to cry.

"I'm not kidding, Gale. Stop." I push him away, and he stares at me, holding me firmly by the hips. "I told you to stop touching me. I'm not comfortable with you doing that." I put my hands against his chest as to keep him from closing any more space between us.

"Come on, Katniss. I want to make love to my wife." He tries to push me down onto the bed, but I quickly wrench myself out of his grip, moving to the other side of the room.

"I said no!" _I can't do this._

"I'm going to stay with Prim tonight." I don't give him a chance to respond. I leave him standing there as I swiftly make my way downstairs. I grab my car keys off of the kitchen counter, and leave, making it a point to slam the door on my way out.

It's past midnight, and I feel terrible about waking Prim up at such a late hour, knowing that she has to get up early for work in the morning. I tried calling her, but my phone died on the way to her house.

I knock lightly on the door, waiting out in the cold. I see a light turn on, and the door open only slightly.

"Katniss?" She opens the door all the way, allowing me to step in. "What are you doing here?" She walks me over to her couch, wrapping a blanket around my shoulders.

"Gale…he-" I don't even know where to start.

"What happened, Katniss? You need to talk to me." She sits down next to me, hugging me close. "You know you can tell me."

"He…He tried to…" I'm shaking now, and she hugs me tighter. "We were fighting, and then he tried touching me-" I say, looking at the floor. I feel Prim stiffen next to me, letting go and forcing me to look at her.

"Katniss…"

"I'm so confused, Prim. I'm_ so_ confused." I look at her, tears now falling freely from my face. "And I don't know what to do." And I don't. All I have ever wanted was to be loved by my husband. But it just doesn't feel right anymore.

"I can't do it, Prim." I break down, and she holds me. I can't contain the painful sobs that wrack my body.

"Katniss, you need to calm down. You need to breathe." She says, rubbing my back. "You need to calm yourself down. You don't want to hurt yourself…or the baby." I stiffen at her words. I had all but forgotten.

"You can do this, Katniss. I know you can. You're so strong." I don't look at her, I feel too ashamed. I hate this.

"Prim, I can't have a baby! I can't do it!"

"Yes, you can." She grabs me by my shoulders and forces me to look at her. "If anyone can do it, Katniss, it's you. You are the strongest person I know. You can get through this."

"I can't stay married to him, Prim. I can't do this to myself anymore." I close my eyes as hard as I can until I start to see spots. I wrap my arm around the pillow that I had in my lap, and squeeze it, burying my face into the fabric.

"Then don't, Katniss." I look up at her, tears blurring my vision. "Just don't."

* * *

Seattle is beautiful during the winter. The hazy skyline visible around the mountains makes it feel like home. The weather is perfect today, with just the right amount of clouds in the sky, hiding the sun from view. It's not raining, yet, but you can feel the moisture thick in the air.

I pull into the parking lot of _Coin&amp;Paylor Law Associates_, and smooth my shirt over my still very little belly. Nobody knows except for Gale, Prim and myself. And I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible.

I sit in the car before going inside, twisting my wedding rings around my finger. It takes me a minute to decide, but I eventually choose to take them off, placing them in the glove compartment. I shut it quickly before I have the chance to change my mind.

I exit the car, and enter the building. A feeling of dread settles at the pit of my stomach, and I have to keep reminding myself that this is how it has to be. That everything will be fine, in the end.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Hawthorne." The receptionist says, her usually peppy voice seems a little off kilter today. "Are you here to see Paylor again?" I nod my head.

"Okay, I'll call her office, you can go ahead and head up there. She'll be waiting by the time you get there." I give her a friendly smile before heading towards the elevators. My anxiety levels are extremely high today, and I can only hope I start to feel better after getting the go ahead for these papers.

The elevator dings, but I don't look up when I walk into it, and run straight into someone, knocking them backwards. I start to fall, but they grab me by arms, pulling me up. I instinctively grab my stomach to make sure I don't hit it on anything.

"I'm so-" I'm taken back by the blue eyes. _It's him._

I feel my knees start to give out, but I attempt to stand all the way up. His hands are still on my waist.

"Are you okay?" He asks, looking me over. I just nod. He steps away a couple feet, and I miss the warmth that his hands left on me. I watch his eyes scan me over, making sure he didn't do any damage.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I-I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." I look down to the floor, hoping he doesn't notice my flustered face. This is so embarrassing.

"I'm sorry, um…"

"Peeta." He says, holding out his left hand, and I shake it. His hands are firm, and steady. I watch him glance down at my hand. _Did he just check for a ring? _I choose not to acknowledge it.

"Peeta." I say to myself. "Again, I'm so sorry for not paying attention. I just-" But I don't finish. I'm sure he doesn't care to hear my whole life story.

"It's perfectly okay. I wasn't exactly paying attention either." He gives a light chuckle, and his eyes look down to the floor before looking back up at me. He gives me a shy smile, and I smile back nervously, biting back bile from rising in my throat_. Why am I so nervous?_

The better question is, _what is he doing here?_

"I'm sorry, did you need to be somewhere? I don't want to keep you waiting." His smile is so contagious that I can't help smile myself.

"Oh, um…yeah, I was just going to see Paylor." His face falls slightly at the mention of that. Oh, of course. Paylor is known for her divorce cases.

"I'm sorry." He says, and his eyes are fixed on mine again. "I should probably let you go, then." I step out of the way to let him through the door. His shoulder brushes against mine, and I shudder. I turn around and watch him leave. He stops once he's out of the elevator and turns his body around.

"I'm sorry, again, for running into you." He says, holding his hand up in apology. "I hope we stumble upon each other again." And with that, he turns and leaves, disappearing around the corner.

_What just happened?_

I try to shake it off my feelings. My head starts to spin at the thought of him. His eyes, which were so blue you would think you were lost at sea, and his sandy blonde hair that seemed to be so perfectly tamed that there wasn't a hair out of place.

The elevator dings, snapping me out of my daydream. I get off and head towards Paylor's office. I knock on the door once before stepping inside.

"Ah, Mrs. Hawthorne. I was waiting for you." I give her an apologetic smile before sitting down in the same chair as last time.

"I'm so sorry, I ran into someone on the elevator." I say, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, again, for being late."

"It's not a problem, I'm not in any hurry." She says, picking up a manila folder off of her desk.

"These are your divorce papers. I would advise you to take them home and read them very carefully." She hands them to me, and I grip them so tightly that my knuckles turn white. "After that, sign them, and bring them back to me. Gale will be served within the next few weeks following that. But after that, you have to go to mediation and court with him." I nod my head in agreement.

I have to choke back the feeling of dread that I get when I start to talk.

"I wasn't sure if I should let you know or not. But, Gale and I are expecting." She looks at me hard, clasping her hands together and laying them on the desk. She leans towards me, sighing.

"Well, this certainly changes things."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know about this the last time I was here."

"And you still want to proceed with this divorce?" She eyes me carefully, leaning back in her chair.

"Yes." I respond flatly.

"Well, I'll have to draw up some new papers, if that's the case." I watch her write down something, but I don't quite catch what it says, before she tucks it into another folder. "What do you want to do about custody?"

"Well, to be fair, I would really like to have full custody." I say. I feel guilty for saying it, and I instantly want to take it back. "But, I don't know. I don't know what our living arrangements are going to be like."

"Well, if anything changes, please let me know. I'll need to be notified as soon as you decide what it is that you would like to do regarding custody. Until then, I am asking you to at least try and talk through to Gale. And if you still can't get him to consent, he will be served." I nod and look at the floor. I play with my thumbs idly. I really don't feel like going home and fighting with him all over again. I know it won't get anywhere.

"Thank you, I definitely will."

"I wish you the best of luck, Mrs. Hawthorne."

I shake her hand stiffly before walking out the door. I feel numb, completely numb. I feel like this whole thing is just so ridiculous. Getting a divorce while I'm pregnant? It all makes me question my choices. But I have to keep reminding myself that this is the right thing to do. This is the right thing to do for me.

* * *

I have been staying with Prim for two weeks now, and haven't once spoken to Gale. But tonight, I'm going home, because we have things that we need to discuss if we are going to make this work.

It's still only late afternoon, so Gale won't be home for another few hours. I take that time to read over the previous papers, making sure everything is correct. These aren't the final papers, because Paylor has to revise them once I take these back next week to pick up the new ones.

Three hours pass from the time Gale was supposed to be home from work. I think about calling him, but quickly decide against it. I don't even know if I _want _him to come home.

But my thoughts are cut off when I hear a car door slam. Gale trudges through the door with his briefcase and a bottle of wine in his hands. I stay quiet, watching him from the couch. He doesn't notice me at first, but then his eyes meet mine, and I instantly feel sick.

"Katniss?" He doesn't move, he just stares at me. He looks like he's going to move towards me, but he stops himself. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my house too, Gale." I say, watching as he moves from the doorway to the kitchen. I follow him in there, crossing my arms across my chest. "We need to talk."

"Can I not come home and rest for five seconds before being hounded?" He slams his brief case onto the table, running his hands through his hair. He takes off his suit jacket and lays it over the top of the chair. "I had a long day."

"Why are you home so late?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at him. "You should have been home hours ago.

"I had things I needed to do." He says, walking out of the kitchen, avoiding my gaze. He walks into the living room with a wine glass and the bottle he brought home, sitting down on the couch. I sit across from him in a padded chair.

"Like what?"

"It's personal, Katniss." He sighs, pouring himself a glass. He sets the bottle on the side table before taking a drink.

"Personal?" I scoff. I wait for him to tell me where he was, but he doesn't, he just stares past me, out the window. "You're really not going to tell me?" I ask. This is unbelievable.

"No. I really don't feel like talking about it right now." His tone is flat, giving me no indication of how he is feeling. I start to feel frustrated, and I have to force myself not to throw the chair cushion at his face.

"You know, I don't feel like talking about things sometimes, but I get over it. Because some things need to be talked about." I say, curling my knees up to my chest. "Like this divorce." His eyes shoot up to mine, then, studying me.

"I really can't talk about that right now, Katniss." I bite my lip, refusing to get upset. How did I know that this is how it was going to go.

"Gale-"

"No. I told you that I had a long day, okay? Just leave me alone." I want to fight back. I want to scream at him. But I decide against it. Something is obviously bothering him, I just wish he would tell me.

"You know you can talk to me about whatever is bothering you." I say. He looks back at me, and I can see the pain in his eyes. We may fight a lot, but I still care about him.

"No, I really don't want to talk about it." I watch him carefully as he directs his gaze towards the floor, taking another drink of his wine. "But thank you."

"Gale. Please, you always tell me not to shut you out. So don't shut _me_ out. Talk to me." I plead. I walk over and sit down next to him on the couch. He looks at me from the corner of his eye cautiously.

"Please, talk to me." He shut his eyes and lays his glass down on the coffee table. He turns towards me, and looks at me.

"I had an appointment with Doctor Fields." My eyes widen, and I stiffen, guilt suddenly flooding my system. "That's why I was home late."

"You went to see a therapist?" I start to feel sick again, but I choke that feeling back. I go to fidget with my rings, but I remember that I left them in the car. I pray that he doesn't notice.

"I've been going for a week now. I go every Wednesday." He says. "I needed someone to talk to about everything that has been going on." I listen to him, trying to take in everything.

"Gale, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." I keep repeating that, because I am. I'm really sorry that this hasn't worked out. I'm sorry that I couldn't love him the way that I should. I'm sorry all of this is happening so fast.

"I want you to go with me." I look up at him, and he stares back. I don't know what to say.

"I think it would help. It might be better if we had someone to help us mediate our relationship." I look away, and down into my lap. I don't even know what our relationship would be defined as at this point. Of course, we are still married, but we won't be soon. We'll just be…parents. Parents raising a baby together, but separately.

"I don't know, Gale. I-"

"Katniss, please. We can work everything out. We can fix this."

"Gale, I don't want to fix this. I want to help our relationship as soon to be parents, but I don't want to be with you." The words come tumbling out of my mouth before I get the chance to think about it.

"At least think about it, Katniss. Just think about it."

"I have thought about it. And I will go with you. If that's what you want." I say.

"That's what I want." He half smiles, and pulls me into a tight hug. I allow it. I feel him sigh against me, winding his hand into my hair to pull me closer. I pull away seconds later.

"It's late, I think I might go to bed." I tell him, standing up from the couch. "We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" I sigh. I really don't want to talk to him about this divorce. I don't feel like fighting for no reason. I know good and well that this isn't going to be easy, and that he's going to fight it.

"Goodnight, Katniss."

I walk up the stairs and down the hall into our bedroom, or what _used_ to be our bedroom. I change into my pajamas and curl myself into the blankets. They smell like Gale, and I can't help but close my eyes and shake away the feeling of remorse. I can't believe I actually missed him. It isn't until I think about it, that I realize that I've missed him for a long time. I fight back the urge to cry.

Hours pass, and I'm still not asleep. Another hour goes by before I hear Gale's heavy footsteps echo throughout the bedroom. He must think I'm asleep, because he pulls up the covers and slides in beside me.

I feel him hesitate before pulling me flush against his chest. He kisses the back of my head and leans his forehead against it. He sighs into my hair, his hand lingering over my stomach. His fingers idly trace circles on my still barely round belly. I fight the urge to cry, biting my lip as to stop the tears from falling. He might feel me shaking, but he doesn't acknowledge it.

"I'm sorry." He whispers. He wraps his arm fully around my waist, and holds me tightly. "I'm sorry."

I try not to burst into tears.

* * *

If you guys didn't know, I'm on Tumblr. My URL is **catching-dandelions**

I was really happy to get to work on this chapter. But don't worry, I AM working on October and If I Stay, don't worry. They'll be up soon. I've had college finals this week so things have been kind of hectic. That why I've only gotten the chance to work on this particular story. I've had so much inspiration I just HAD to work on it.

I hope you enjoyed it. **_REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED._**


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up to the sun dimly sifting through the closed curtains. This is the most sleep that I've had in a long time. I move to stretch my arms when I realize who I'm in bed with. Gale and I didn't move at all last night. His arm is still wrapped around my middle, and his head in nestled between my head and my shoulders. I feel the rise and fall of his chest against my back, and feel his even breathing against my neck.

I begin to feel a panic rising within me. It's been months since Gale and I have shared a bed, and I can't help but feel a pang of guilt rising in my chest. It's been so long. So long since either of us has slept together like that. I start to feel even worse when I realize just how well I actually slept. _This isn't how it's supposed to be. _I think to myself. _You're supposed to be distancing yourself._

I try as hard as I can to slip out of his grasp unnoticed. I slowly, painfully slowly, lift his arm from around me and place it gently on the bed. Once I stand up, I glance down at his sleeping form. A small smile tugs at my lips when I notice how peaceful he looks. But my smile is immediately replaced by an unsettling feeling of guilt. I try to shake off the warm feeling I have in my stomach, walking out of the room and quietly closing the door behind me.

I walk down the stairs and to the kitchen. I open the fridge and look to see if there's anything I can cook. _Of course not. _I've been gone for two weeks, and Gale hasn't even once gone to the store.

I spot a carton of eggs and pull them out. I throw a few into a skillet and scramble them with some cheese. My stomach growls loudly and I place my hand there to stop it. I didn't realize how hungry I was.

It sit down at the table with my eggs and a glass of orange juice. I'm happy that I get to enjoy a peaceful morning without any fighting. It's Gale's day off, so he should be asleep for a while longer.

Once I'm finished eating, I sit, staring out the window. It's really so beautiful today, and I think I might actually go out and enjoy the day, instead of sitting inside and sulking about something that I have no control over.

I hear a door close upstairs and get a little irritated that I didn't get a little more time alone to myself before Gale woke up. But my peacefulness is short lived.

I hear Gale's heavy footsteps thudding down the stairs, and look over to the doorway where he stands, rubbing his eyes.

"You didn't wake me, love." I blanch.

"You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you up." I roll my eyes. I really just wanted to have a moment of peace in this house before all hell broke loose.

He walks over to me and leans down to kiss me full on the lips, but I turn my head away, and he catches my cheek.

"What was that?" He asks, looking at me. He stands there with a bewildered expression on his face. I cross my arms against my chest, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute.

"I don't want you kissing me. Okay?"

"Why?" He asks defensively.

"Because I don't want you mistaking this for something that it's not." I feel a sudden burst of guilt for saying that. I don't know why, but I do. And I can't shake the feeling.

"But Katniss, I thought you changed your mind? You came home last night. You said you would go to Dr. Fields with me and try to fix-"

"I said I would go with you, yeah. But I didn't say I wanted to fix anything." I correct him, holding my finger up. His eyes change to something of disappointment when he sits down in a chair next to me. He takes my hands in his, but I pull them away.

"I thought that since you came home last night, that you might still want this." He says, grabbing my hands. He doesn't let me pull away this time. "I was so happy when I saw you last night. I didn't know when you were going to be coming home."

I look at the ground, not wanting to meet his eyes. I feel so overwhelmed with emotions right now, I can't even pinpoint if I'm more upset or if I'm just feeling guilty for making him think I came back for him.

"You came home, Katniss. You had to have wanted this. You wouldn't have come back to me, I know you. You came back for a reason." He squeezes my hand and I squeeze my eyes shut. I swallow the lump I have in my throat before looking at him. The look in his eyes kills me, and I have to look away again.

"I didn't come back to you, I came back here. To my home. This is my home, Gale."

"Our home. This is_ our_ home, Katniss." He says, squeezing my hand again. I shake my head at him.

"No, Gale. This hasn't been our home for a long time." I look at him, then, and see the hurt in his eyes. I can't help but feel helpless right now.

"It can be. It can be our home again, Katniss. We can work this out, and we can be together, in our home, and raise our baby." I stiffen at the words _'our baby'. _I knew that trying to talk to him about this was going to be pointless.

"Don't you get it?" I ask, taking my hands from his and folding them in my lap. "I don't want to live in this house with you. It isn't our home anymore. It's just a house that you and I both live in. But it isn't our home." He stares at me emotionless.

"Sure, I want us to be able to raise this baby together, but we don't have to be together in order to do that. We can have separate lives." His eyes harden at the mention of it, of moving on.

"I don't want to do this separately. I want to do this with you, my wife." I grimace, looking to the floor. He really just doesn't understand.

"Gale, you have to understand that I'll always love you." I say, looking back up to him. "But not in the way I used to. I'll always love you as the father of our child, but I don't love you as my husband." I see the wheels turning in his head and watch his face as he realizes what I'm saying.

"So, you really don't want this, do you?" He asks, running a hand through his messy hair. "You really don't want this?" He repeats again.

"I'm sorry, Gale. I am." I can't help but apologize. "I'm sorry if staying here and sleeping with you made you think otherwise. I just wanted to see if there was a chance that this could ever work between us." I point between us. "But I'm sorry. I just can't do it."

He looks at me, now, pain filling his eyes. He looks away after a few seconds, closing his eyes. I instantly feel regret for saying those things. _Is this really what I want for us?_

"I'm sorry too." He finally says, taking my hands in his again. I allow it. "I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. And I'm sorry for not being a better person, and a better husband." I have to look away from him in order to avoid breaking down right there in front of him. It doesn't do any good, though, because as soon as the tears start falling, I begin to shake uncontrollably.

He scoops me up and carries me to the couch, sitting down and cradling me in his lap. I try to fight it, but I don't have the energy to. I sit there, shaking and crying in his arms, while he holds me close, smoothing my hair down my back.

"Please don't cry. I hate making you upset." That just makes me cry harder. I can't stand this. I can't stand him being like this, loving me. It's all so confusing.

I sob into his shirt, gripping it tightly in my hands. He just rocks me back and forth, kissing the top of my head, whispering, "I'm sorry" over and over again. I can't help but feel overwhelmed.

Finally, when I think I might be starting to calm down, he speaks.

"Katniss?" I look up to him, then, staring into those big brown eyes. "I'll sign the papers." And in that moment, my heart shatters into a million pieces.

* * *

The Whole-Foods is downtown, which means I have to drive half an hour just to go to the grocery store. But, we have no food, and if I'm going to cook for Thanksgiving, I need to have plenty of food.

I pull into the parking lot and get out of the car. It's only been a week since Gale told me he would sign the divorce papers, but I still have an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can't shake the feeling away. It just doesn't feel right. I push all of those feelings to the back of my mind, though, as I walk into the store.

Whole-Foods is crowded for it being a Monday. Usually I go on the weekends and it's not even this crowded. I realize that it's probably because of the stupid holiday coming up. I've never been one to enjoy holidays, because for me, it's just a bunch of people who pretend to enjoy each other's presence sitting around and eating way too much food.

But I've determined to make this year better. I'm going to make what I want, and nobody is going to argue with me about it. I've already promised Prim that I would make her favorite dessert, cherry pie.

I make my way down the canned foods isle, reaching on my toes to get the last of the green beans. I climb up onto one of the lower shelves, and I manage to get about six cans in my arms. As I climb down, though, I misstep, and fall backwards into someone. We land on the ground with a loud crash as all of the cans from my arms topple to the ground. I wince for a second as a sharp pain shoots through my stomach.

I sit there for a moment, traumatized, and afraid to see whom I just crushed with my entire body. I reach for my stomach, holding it as another pain courses through my abdomen. I have to take a few deep breaths before the pain finally ebbs.

"Are you okay?" I turn around and-

_It's him. Peeta._

I can't find words. My eyes are wide with embarrassment, that I can't even contain my anxiety. I try to scramble off of his lap, but he helps me up, holding me under my arms and lifting me from the ground.

"We have got to stop meeting like this." He grins, and I feel my anxiety levels lower considerably.

"Um, yeah." I reply, giving him a nervous smile.

I reach down to pick up some of the cans, but he reaches at the same time, our hands brushing against each other. I pull my hand back quickly, staring at him.

_What was that?_

"Here," he says, placing the rest of the cans in my mostly full cart. I give him a look of gratitude, nodding my head at him.

"Thank you." I smile. But that smile falters as another searing pain rips through me. I grab my stomach and bend over, squeezing my eyes shut. I try to catch my breath, but I can't seem to find it.

"Hey, are you okay?" I lift my head to see him staring at me, a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Another pain shoots through me, and I start to see spots. I'm kneeling on the floor now, both of my hands around my stomach. "I-"

"Is something wrong?" I can hear the tremor in his voice, and can tell that he is concerned. I don't even know this man.

"I-I don't know." I answer honestly, because I don't know how to describe the pain. It's more than uncomfortable. I can't even stand up straight. I feel sick to my stomach.

I try to stand up, but as I do, an unbearable sharp pain goes through me, and it feels like a ripping sensation. I cry out, falling back onto the floor.

There seems to be a crowd forming, and the man, Peeta, grabs me by the eblow and helps me stand. I'm still hunched over, but he wraps one of his arms around my waist and the other he uses to drape my left arms around his neck. He walks me to a less packed area of the store, and leans me against one of the walls.

I can feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I blink them back. I am not going to cry in front of a stranger. I'm quickly proven wrong, though, because another sharp pain rips through me. I am now a hundred percent positive that I am going to die.

"Can you-" I start to say, but I get cut off by another wave of pain. "I think there's-"

"What's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?" I nod my head furiously, gripping my stomach tightly. His eyes roam down to my stomach, and he must realize by now what's wrong with me.

"I think there's something wrong." I can't hold back the tears any longer, and they begin to pour down my cheeks. Peeta looks at me, and hesitantly steps towards me. He doesn't get a chance to get any closer, though, because I cry out again, and almost crumple to the floor. I feel another sharp pain shoot through my stomach before I feel something wet pool between my legs.

I look up at him in horror before I'm pulled under into darkness.

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

That's the first thing that I notice when I come slowly back into consciousness. It's not a new sound, though.

It takes me a few minutes to realize that I'm in the hospital. And when I finally open my eyes, the first thing I see is Gale, his head is on the bed beside mine, and both of his hands are wrapped around mine. I try to move my fingers, and his eyes open slightly, widening once he realizes that I'm staring back at him.

"Gale?" I ask, trying to choke back a sob. His hands are immediately on my face, and his lips are of my forehead. "Gale-" I try to say again. He pulls back and looks at me, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'm here." He whispers, wrapping his arms around me, laying his head on my shoulder. "I'm here."

"What's going on?" I finally ask. He lifts his head, and his eyes meet mine. He shakes his head, squeezing my hand.

"Katniss-" He starts to say, but is immediately interrupted by someone walking through the door. It's Dr. Aurelius. He moves over to the other side of my bed and sits down in a chair next to me.

"Mr. Hawthorne, could you please step out for a moment?" He says, motioning towards the door.

"But-"

"I need a moment alone with your wife, if you don't mind." His tone is forceful, but steady. Gale gets up and places a gentle kiss to my forehead before heading towards the door. I let my hand slide out of his slowly, trying to hold on as long as I can.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, are you aware of your current condition?" He asks, keeping his voice steady. I shake my head no, blinking back tears that threaten to spill.

"Don't worry, you and the baby are both doing fine." I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding. I let the tears fall freely from my eyes, falling down my face onto the sheets.

"You had quite a few ovarian cysts, and that was what was causing the pain and discomfort you had mentioned to me before during your previous visit." He says, looking down at his notepad. "They ruptured short of you arriving here, and that is what caused the bleeding you experienced." I let his words sink into my mind. I don't even remember much of what happened.

"Now, you're still very early into your pregnancy. You're almost twelve weeks, I do believe." I watch his eyes skim over his notepad once again. "Since you're still early along, no damage was caused to yourself or the baby during the rupturing." I nod my head.

"You're lucky you were brought in when you were, though." He says, nodding his head towards the window. I see an outline of a man talking to Gale. _Is that Peeta?_

"You would have lost a more significant amount of blood." He smiles before standing up out of his chair.

"Wait-" I say, grabbing his arm. "Is that the man who brought me?"

"Ah, yes. Mr. Mellark." He smiles, and I let go of his arm. "Nice man, he is." I give him a look of confusion, but he must choose to ignore it, for he just turns out and walks out the door.

I watch through the glass as Dr. Aurelius passes Gale and gives him a nod of the head, letting him know that it's okay for him to come in.

It only takes Gale three long strides before he is at my side, pulling me into a tight hug. I let him hold me, because if he doesn't, I feel as if I might break and fall apart. I try to say something, but I choke on my words. He just holds me tighter.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here." He says, pulling away from me. He moves my hair out of my face, and let's his hand linger there. "You're okay." He smiles. He hesitates like he wants to kiss me, but he doesn't. And for that, I'm grateful.

"I'm okay." I finally manage to choke out those words before taking a deep, shaky breath. I don't even know why I was so scared, didn't I just say that I didn't want this baby in the first place? _No._ I think to myself. _You don't want Gale._

"Prim called me after you got here. She said someone brought you. Peter, I think was his name." I close my eyes as I remember Peeta helping me back at the store.

"Peeta." I correct him. I look over to the window and notice him staring at me, his eyes never leaving mine. I watch him as he watches Gale and I, a sullen look on his face. I smile at him, as to thank him, and he nods back at me with a sad smile.

"I'll let you talk to him, if you want. I wasn't sure if-" I cut him off.

"Yeah," I croak out, my voice barely audible. Gale lets go of my hand and kisses my palm. His gaze wavers for a moment, and for a second I think I catch a hint of desperation.

"I'll be right outside." I smile at him before he walks out. I watch him exchange a few words with Peeta. Gale walks away down the hall, and Peeta quietly enters the room. He stands in the doorway, his hands crossed against his chest. He looks extremely uncomfortable, and I suddenly feel sick.

I'm the first to speak, though.

"Thank you." I say. My voice is hoarse, and comes out raspy.

"You didn't really leave me with much of a choice." He says, shifting on his feet. "You passed out right in front of me."

"I'm sorry." I mutter. How much more of an embarrassment can I make out of myself?

"Oh, no. It wasn't a problem." He says, walking over to stand a few feet away from the bed. "I was worried, I had no idea what was happening." He admits. I can see his hands shaking, and wonder just how much he had to go through to get me here.

"Not until I got you here, that is." I look away, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. I try to sink myself further into the mattress. I feel so uncomfortable, like I'm suffocating. I try more than anything to make myself disappear. But, I have no such luck.

"I'm sorry." I say again. "I'm sorry you had to do that." I squeeze my eyes shut and look away. A total stranger drove me to the hospital, bloody and unconscious. _What a great way to make a first impression._

"It really wasn't a big deal," he says, "I'm glad I could help." I open my eyes and watch him look over me. Neither of us says anything for a while. I open my mouth many times to say something, but what is there really to say?

"I'm sorr-"

"You should really stop apologizing." He says. "You don't have anything to be sorry for." I look up at him, his eyes are downcast, looking towards the floor. I get a sad, tugging feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Gale, is he your husband?" He asks. I think he's joking, but when his eyes meet mine, I know that he's not. "I noticed you weren't wearing any wedding rings." He nods towards my hand, and I subconsciously lift it, studying my finger.

"Right, um," I try to think of how to best describe this situation without sounding totally pathetic. "Yeah, well, it's a little complicated." I admit, shutting my eyes. "We're in kind of a difficult place right now." I look towards my stomach, and he nods in understanding.

"I'm sorry," is all he says. He closes his eyes like he's thinking about something.

"When we ran into each other the other day, I was-"

"No, that's your business. You don't need to explain anything to me, really." He says, holding a hand up. And he's right. Why would I try to explain this to a total stranger? The tension is thick in the air, and some might say you could cut it with a knife. And soon after that, an uncomfortable silence falls over us.

"Maybe I should go." He starts to walk away, but I stop him.

"Wait-" I say. He turns around to meet my gaze, and I feel a warm feeling settle at the bottom of my stomach when his eyes lock with mine. I push that feeling aside.

"Thank you, again." I say.

"It was no problem, really." He gives me a halfhearted smile, and my stomach twists into knots. Why does something feel off? Something doesn't feel right.

"Do you think we'll see each other again?" I ask, trying not to make myself sound too desperate. He just looks at me, his expression hollow, and resigned.

"Maybe." And without another word, he was gone. I'm left by myself to sit in silence.

Gale walks in moments later, climbing onto the bed with me. He lies down beside me and takes me into his arms, wrapping his right arm around my middle. I try to fight it, try to push him away, but he just holds me tighter. He doesn't say anything, just holds me.

"Gale-" I say, trying to push him off. "I really can't do this right now." I choke out. He still doesn't say anything. I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to cry. I feel sick to my stomach.

"I'm sorry." He whispers. "I'm so sorry."

I'm not sure what he means by that, but I don't ask him. I just close my eyes and will the pain in my head to go away.


	5. Chapter 5

Another wave of nausea hits me and I clutch the cold, hard toilet seat, expelling anything and everything that I had left in my stomach. I can't tell how long I've been in here. Hours, maybe? I don't know how much more of it I can take.

I rest my forehead against the cool toilet seat, trying my hardest to take in deep and slow, steady breaths. And, once a good ten minutes passes and I haven't heaved anything else up, I decide it's safe to get up. I wash my mouth out thoroughly in the sink, splashing my face in the process. I grab the edge of the sink when a wave of dizziness hits me full force. My fingers turn white from gripping the counter top tightly.

I let my eyes roam over my reflection in the mirror. And oh, how sad and pathetic I must seem. I'm now well five months into my pregnancy, and I couldn't look any worse. The dark bags under my eyes stand prominent against my pale, sickly flushed skin. Despite my growing, but still smallish, swollen stomach, I'm thinner than I have ever been. It can't be healthy, but my doctor says the nausea and vomiting should pass. That has yet to happen, though.

I need desperately to try and put myself together. I run my hands through my tangled mess of hair, and decide I should probably shower. I run my hands under the warm water as it courses down my body. I relish in the sweet feeling of it, thick droplets landing on me seconds before running through my wet hair. I get lost in the warmth of it all, letting myself get lost in the comfort it all brings me.

My thoughts roam to Gale, who's been gone for two months on a business trip in New York. I forgot how much I enjoyed spending time alone, being able to just be by myself in the peace and quiet of my home. No fighting, no arguing, just quiet. And all that's left to do when he comes back is sign the papers, and it's done. And I smile, because for the fist time in a long time, I feel really happy.

I step out of the shower once I feel my skin start to prune. The air is thick and foggy, and I have to slowly inch my way to the door so as to not fall over something, before pushing it open.

I stand in front of my full-length mirror, examining myself. When I turn to the side, there's definitely a bump, if not that large, but it's most definitely noticeable now. I place my hands on either side of it, running them gently along the perimeter.

_How did we get here, huh? _I think to myself. I remember promising myself a long time ago that I would never have children. But the odds have certainly never been in my favor.

I direct my gaze away from the mirror, and quickly get dressed in something comfortable. I decide on a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved, loose grey top that falls just below my belly. I dry my hair out and brush it, letting it fall in loose, thick curls down my back. I do my best to cover up the dark circles under my eyes, and apply a minimal amount of mascara, just for shits. I throw on my dark brown riding boots, and take one last look at myself before walking out to my car.

Today I'm going to visit Peeta Mellark.

Well, not visit, but I'm going to his restaurant to talk to him, see if I can get a few minutes with him before he opens the restaurant. We haven't had the chance of seeing each other since he left the hospital, and that was well over two months ago. He left so short, and I have a feeling it wasn't on a good note. Something definitely didn't feel right when he left, and I didn't like leaving things like that. I don't even know this man, but the tugging feeling in my chest at the thought of not seeing him again is almost unbearable.

Once I arrive, I park in the nearly empty parking lot. I open the door, expecting to see at least the workers, but the lobby is dimly lit, and there's no sign of anyone. But, as I round the corner to the main seating area, I notice a little blonde boy sitting at a booth, playing with what I believe to be forks and knives. He couldn't be any older than four years old.

_Well, that shouldn't be allowed? _I laugh to myself, already starting to feel parental instincts kicking in. I look around to see if I can spot anyone, his parents even, but I don't catch any sight of anyone. So I walk over to him, and kneel down at the edge of the table. He stops his hands, and cautiously glances at me, his striking blue eyes meeting my dull, grey ones.

"Hi," I say quietly, nodding towards the utensils in his hands. "You know, it's not safe to play with knives," the little boy meekly scoots away a little bit, throwing the utensils down gently.

"My daddy tells me not to talk to strangers," I eye him carefully. "My daddy says _that's_ dangerous." Cheeky kid. I slowly start stand up, crossing my arms against my chest, and resting them atop my stomach. He looks up at me with wide eyes, but looks away a second later.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Your daddy must be-"

"Avery, who are you-" I feel my heart stop, and a lump form in my throat. I know it's Peeta Mellark by the sound of his voice. The proximity of it causes me to shudder. I slowly turn around, taking him in. He's wearing black dress pants and a deep red button down, with a black tie. I try not to stare.

"Katniss?" He sounds surprised. Although, I guess he should, be it I just randomly showed up at his restaurant without him knowing.

The little boy scoots out of the booth and scurries over to stand behind Peeta, his little hands reach up and wrap around Peeta's wrist, tugging at his sleeve. He's hidden behind him, but he peeks his head around just enough to be able to see me. Peeta reaches down and smoothes the blonde curls on the little boy's head back, shaking it a little bit. The boy giggles and cuddles closer to his side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming here," Peeta says, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"No, I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have just shown up like this," now I start to feel the familiar sense of awkwardness settling thick in the air. I take a shaking hand and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Daddy, why is this strange lady here?" _Daddy? _I don't know why it never occurred to me before that he might have children. But, then again, how would I know that? I shamefully find myself glancing down at his ring finger, finding it empty.

Peeta bends down and puts his hands on his son's shoulders. "Avery, why don't you go find Annie. Maybe ask her when mommy is going to get here. Okay?" _So 'mommy' is still in the picture. _

Peeta pats Avery on the back, and sends him running towards the back of the restaurant. He rubs his neck nervously.

"Sorry about that. Crazy kid," he chuckles, his hand still lingering on the back of his neck. His gaze wavers from mine, and he shifts on his feet.

"Oh, it's no problem," I laugh. "He was playing with knives before you walked over, I didn't mean to scare him." He laughs at that, finally breaking some of the unbearable tension in the air.

"Yeah, sorry," he laughs again, and I find it kind of comforting. "He doesn't really listen sometimes," I nod my head in understanding. "He's just…so stubborn."

"Yeah, um, but he seems really well behaved."

"Oh, he's really quite the opposite. His mother lets him run around and destroy just about everything, I assume. Because I don't allow it. So it has to be someone...other than me." I catch his nervous laugh as he finishes his sentence. He coughs and clears his throat.

"Anyways, why did you come by here? It's not even time for opening." He raises his eyebrow and studies me. I shift uncomfortably under his stare.

"I, uh…could we talk somewhere…that's not out here?" I fumble over my words. _Get it together, Katniss._

"Oh, yeah, sure. Let's go to my office." He motions me towards the back of the store. We walk around the corner, and run into whom I believe to be Annie, holding a distraught looking Avery. I stand there and watch Peeta take Avery into his arms. He wraps his arms around Peeta's neck and squeezes, laying his head on his shoulder.

I hear Annie tell him something, but I don't quite catch the whole thing.

"What? Are you kidding me? Again?" He lets out a frustrated sigh, turning towards me. "I'm so sorry, you can go wait in there, I have to take care of a few things." I nod my head, and walk straight into his office without making eye contact with anyone.

I sit in a chair across from his desk and play with my thumbs idly. At least twenty minutes has passed since I've heard anything from the other side of the door. But another ten minutes passes, and a very angry looking Peeta walks into the room, almost slamming the door behind him. He jumps when he sees me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot you were in here." He admits, walking to sit behind his desk.

"It's okay, I don't really have anywhere to be…so…" I don't finish, not even knowing what I was going to say. Why can't I think straight?

I look up, and his deep blue eyes are boring into the desk.

"Everything okay?" I choke out. He looks at me quizzically, and I shake my head at my blatant stupidity. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business." I have to force myself to look at the ground.

"It's fine," He starts, placing his hands crossed on his desk. "My ex-wife cancelled again. She was supposed to watch Avery since his babysitter was unavailable tonight." He sighs, sitting back in his chair. "So I suppose he's going to stay here."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Um, do you need someone to watch him? I-I mean…I'm not doing anything tonight if you needed-"

"I couldn't possibly ask you to do that, Katniss." My heart skips a beat at the sound of my name coming from his lips. A warm feeling settles at the bottom of my stomach, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek in order to distract myself.

"It's fine, really, I don't mind." I stutter. His lips pull into a warm smile, and I can't help but return it. He seems visibly more relaxed than when he did when he walked in.

"Thank you, um, thank you so much. I'll go let Annie know." He says, getting up from his chair and walking out the door. He returns only moments later.

Once he settles back into his chair, another rigid silence falls over us. I don't know what causes the changing in the atmosphere, but I can feel it. It must be making him just as uncomfortable, because he clears his throat, shifting in his chair.

"So, you needed to talk to me about something?"

"Oh, um…right," I say, moving my hair out of my face. "I was just…It's been two months, and I haven't seen you around here. N-not that I stopped by here often, it's just that-"

"I've been gone for the holidays." I chastise myself for sounding like a complete and total idiot._ Of course._

"Oh, right. Um, well, I just wanted to…talk to you. You know, I never got to really say thank you for what you did." His face is unreadable, and I get a sense of dread. I can't just tell him that I wanted to see him again. "So, thank you. And I'm sorry about everything." His lips are firmly pressed together in a fine line.

"Like I said, it's nothing you need to thank me about. I was just being a good citizen." Why was he being so formal?

"Yeah, but I-" He stops me, holding out his hand.

"Katniss," He says firmly. "I don't mean to come across as rude, but I really don't want to invade your personal life. I'm grateful that you're offering to watch Avery for me, I really am." I feel the room spinning. "But I don't want to come between anything." My eyes go wide. Does he really think he is coming between Gale and I?

"It's just that, I know the last time we saw each other, you looked as if you were in the middle of something…really complicated, and I just don't want to come in between anything important that you may be trying to fix." His eyes bore into mine, and I try not to show my irritated emotions. We practically just met and he's already causing me to feel vulnerable under his gaze. Something inside of me causes a burst of anxiety, and I think about never seeing him again. I can't let that happen.

"Peeta," I say slowly. "There's nothing for you to even come between." His eyes soften, but never leave mine. "And, we're beyond fixing things. That's just the way it is. And it's been like that since before any of this happened." I have to break my eyes away from him. I can't believe I'm telling all of this to a complete stranger.

There's a long moment of silence before he speaks up.

"I just don't want to be the reason that you and your husband cannot solve your problems. Especially taking in your current situation." My eyes narrow at him, and I feel as if I could scream. What the hell does he know about any of this?

"First of all, we were beyond solving out problems before I got pregnant," I start, fuming. "And secondly, how in the hell would you even be a reason that we can't fix our problems? All I did was offer to watch your son." I take a deep breath, and try to calm myself down. I feel like we are about to cross a fine line.

"But you obviously came here seeking an answer as to why you haven't seen me around for almost two months. And I know you've been coming in here asking for me."

"So, you've just been avoiding me?" I ask, almost unbelievably. "Why?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you would be able to fix things with your husband! Because I know how hard it is to be a single parent, and I wanted to give you every opportunity to fix things before I ruin anything for you." I blink my eyes rapidly, trying to focus on what he just said.

"But…but how would you ruin anything for me? We don't even know each other."

"It doesn't matter. I avoided you because…because I knew I was treading on dangerous ground when saw you at the law offices. For me, I knew there was something more than we just 'ran into each other'. And I didn't want to come in between anything if you were trying to fix things with your marriage," He takes a deep breath and looks at the ground, before quickly looking back up at me. "Because I find myself completely enamored with you."

I feel like the world has stopped spinning, and my heart leaps out of my chest. Why was he saying these things? I refuse to admit to myself that I have feelings for a man I hardly know. But I'm finding it more and more difficult by the minute._ Don't be stupid._

"Um…I-I-" I'm cut off by someone bursting through the door, a frazzled Annie trailing behind with Avery in her arms. Peeta looks at me nervously before looking to the blonde woman standing beside me.

"Mrs. Cartwright, what brings you here?" The woman shoots him an icy stare.

"Oh, cut the bullshit Peeta. I'm here to take my son." My eyes widen and meet Peeta's. He glances at me before staring hard into the woman's eyes. He stands, then, stepping around the woman and taking Avery into his arms. He turns back around to face her.

"You're not taking him anywhere. You called to say that you couldn't watch him tonight, like that was a big surprise, so I found someone else to do it," he glances towards me and I have to look away. "You get the right to take him if and when I allow it. You blew those privileges tonight, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." I certainly was not expecting to have to witness this today. I feel like I'm invading something entirely too private for me to be around.

I start to get out of my chair and walk towards the door when Peeta stops me. His voice is just low enough for me to hear. "You don't have to leave." I meet his eyes and his gaze is hard, angry, when he turns back around to face who I'm assuming is to be his ex.

"Who is that?" She spits towards me.

"This is Katniss. And she's volunteered to help watch Avery tonight, since you had no interest in taking responsibility for your own son," Peeta shoots back. Her icy stare is on me now, and I try not to show that I'm visibly shaking. I hate being put into these kinds of situations.

"Yes, he's my son, and I don't want some_ other_ woman taking care of him," she tries to reach for Avery, but Peeta takes a solid step back, almost knocking me into Annie. Annie and I exchange nervous glances, feeling like this conversations is about to get out of control.

"You lost your right to take care of him. And I most certainly do not intend to discuss these things with you with an audience present. So please, leave. Now." The woman stares hard daggers into Peeta, and I visibly shudder. She rolls her eyes, not even giving me a second glance, and pushes her way out of the office.

After an increasingly painful silence that lasts an eternity too long, Peeta finally turns around to face me and Annie, and apologetic look in his eyes. Something tells me that Annie knows a lot more about this than I do, so I assume the look is for me.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know she would have come here, or else I would have warned the both of you." He says, shifting Avery up higher on his hip. He seems as if he's falling asleep, his head layed on Peeta's shoulder and his eyes fluttering closed.

"I wanted to come in and tell you that she was here, but she just stormed in here after I told her she didn't need to pick Avery up. She didn't give me a chance to call your office." Annie explains.

"No, it's fine. I just thought she said she wasn't coming."

"She did. She called here and said she had other things she needed to do. But she showed up about twenty minutes after I called her back and said she didn't need to come." I watch the exchange between them, awkwardly shifting my weight. My legs are starting to really hurt.

"It's okay. I'm just glad she's gone now," Peeta sighs, and smoothes back Avery's hair. "And this makes your job a whole lot easier." He looks at me then, smiling. "Little guy ran around so much already, he tuckered himself out. So he'll sleep for a few hours before you actually have to watch him." I smile, grateful that I'll have a little while to rest. I'm so wiped out, and I haven't even done anything today but talk.

"Great," I respond, plastering a genuine smile on my face. His gaze wavers to my stomach, and I start to feel extremely self-conscious, so I cross my arms across my chest. He looks back at my face.

"Can you hold him? I mean, are you able to?"

"Oh, um, yeah I should be able to." I step forward and he places Avery into my arms. He wraps his little arms around my neck and winds his hands into my hair, laying his head on my shoulder. My heart melts, and I smile, wrapping my arms around him.

"He must like you," Peeta smiles, stepping away. "He doesn't even let his own mother hold him anymore." His face falls, and I instantly feel guilty. _He won't even let his mother hold him?_

"I must be pretty special," I smile, and he smiles back. But there's a hint of something hidden beneath that one, I can feel it.

"Must be." He smirks, but tries to cover it with a laugh. But I definitely catch it.

* * *

"And then the big bad wolf said 'and I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!'" Avery wiggles in my lap, covering his eyes with his hands.

"Scary!" He yells, turning around and burrowing his face into my neck. I let out a little laugh, peeling him away.

"You know, it's just a book. It's not real," I smile, ruffling his hair. "But you know what _is_ real?" His eyes widen, and I reach my arms up in the air dramatically.

"The tickle monster!" He screeches and falls onto the floor. I attack him, ticking his sides and watch him wiggle around and scream. He's kicking and thrashing but I've got him pinned to the floor. "Stop! Kah-niss!" I start to blow raspberries on his belly when I hear a door shut behind me.

"Katniss?" I startle at the sound of him. I turn around slowly, scooping up Avery into my arms.

There Gale is, standing in the doorway of my living room, looking down at me with a dumbfounded expression.

"Gale? What are you doing here?" I ask, holding Avery just a little closer. He buries his face into my shoulder, and wraps his arms around my neck. I hold him to me as I stand up, facing Gale.

"What? No welcome home?" My blood boils. He didn't even tell me he was coming. For all I knew, he was still in New York.

"This isn't your home, Gale. You don't live here anymore."

"No, but I thought you would at least be a little bit happy to see me," he starts, taking off his jacket and laying it across the chair by the window. "Who is that, anyway?"

"This is…a friend of mine's kid. I'm babysitting for them while they work." Yeah, that's a safe word. _Friend. _"But that's not the question. Why did you come_ here_?"

"Because I mi-" He stops himself though, and I'm grateful, even if I knew what he was going to say. "I just wanted to check up on you." His gaze lingers on my stomach, and doesn't leave.

"You're showing now." He frowns, and I lower my head, shifting Avery onto my hip so I can look down. I almost forgot that he left before I was showing.

"Yeah, you've been gone for almost three months…" In a second, he's in front of me, his hands on my belly. I flinch, and Avery grabs my neck tighter. _He doesn't like strangers._ And I guess he can feel how tense I am.

"Gale, don't" I try to move his hands away, but he doesn't move. "Gale-"

"Don't, just let me. It's my baby too." I wince at his words. "We may not be together, but I still want to be able to experience this."

"I know, Gale…" He's right, we may not be living together, but he's still the father, and I'll allow him this right to watch his child grow. But, just seconds later, he pulls his hand away, and backs up a few feet. I shift Avery uncomfortably, and sit down on the couch with him in my lap. Gale is still standing in the same spot, staring at me.

"What?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Nothing, you're just really good with him." His smile falls, and his eyes turn sullen He walks towards the door and starts putting his jacket back on. "Whose kid?"

"Oh, um, Peeta Mellark." His eyes widen, but quickly return to normal.

"Oh. Good man, he is." That's all he says before leaving the house.

* * *

"Thank you so much for watching him, really." Avery clings to me, his arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

Peeta reaches out, trying to take him from my arms, but Avery only tightens his hold on me. "Avery, come on. It's late and we need to go home," He just shakes his head furiously, hiding his face in my neck. "Avery." Peeta says more forcefully.

"No daddy. KATniss." I try not to laugh, but I do. I shrug at Peeta, and he just looks at me and sighs.

"Avery. Let's go. I'm not playing games with you."

"Kahniss played games with me today!" Avery squeals, his head shooting up to look at Peeta. He sighs, and lets out a small, defeated laugh.

"Did she?" I give him a small, apologetic smile. Avery nods his head and flashes his perfect white teeth.

"Well, I guess she'll just have to come back and play more games with you. Isn't that right?" My mouth falls open. Is he using his own child as a way to bribe me into seeing him again? I can't help but laugh.

"I guess I will." I say, tickling Avery's sides until he finally releases his hold from my neck. That gives Peeta enough time to grab him from my arms. Avery kicks and wallows but finally gives up once he is in his daddy's arms.

"Got you!" Peeta exclaims, ruffling Avery's hair. He smiles a toothy grin before turning back to me.

"Thank you, again. It meant a lot," He says. "And it looks like he had fun." I smile, nodding my head.

"We had a lot of fun, didn't we?" Avery smiles at me and shakes his head.

"Well, we should do this again." Peeta says, smiling at me.

"Definitely," I respond. He smiles at me again, and I try my hardest not to blush. But, something tells me I am, because he just smiles at me harder, if that's even possible.

"So…tomorrow? Same time?" He asks, and I laugh. Because of course he would want it to be tomorrow.

"Um, yeah, sure." I try to hide my smile, but I have no such luck. "Tomorrow." I turn to leave, and on my way out, I barely catch Peeta and Avery's little exchange. They must think I can't hear them.

"I like her daddy." I hear Avery try to whisper, but it just comes out louder than it would if he were talking normally.

"I do too."

I'm glad I'm not in the room with them anymore, because I'm sure I'm smiling so hard it must seem like a grimace.

* * *

**_Aren't you guys glad I'm updating? I worked really hard on this chapter, and I really hope that you like it. I know you all have had a bunch of questions about Peeta and why he was acting the way he was while they were at the hospital, and hopefully this chapter answered your questions!_**

**_Also I was really looking forward to writing a really cute chapter, so I hope you like it!_**


	6. Chapter 6

Gale couldn't make it to my doctor's appointment with me. I don't know why it came as a surprise to me that he chose his work over me again, but I'm over it. I'm too happy, and I am not going to let him ruin this for me.

I push through the front door of our house, well, I guess it's _my_ house, now, and make my way into the kitchen, where I see Gale sitting at the table, leaning his head in his hands. He doesn't notice me at first, but as I stand in the doorway, my arms crossed against my chest, he lifts his head, his eyes wide.

"I was waiting for you," he says, standing from his chair. "I came over as soon as I got your call."

"So, you could come now, but not when we were supposed to find out what we are having at my appointment?" I'm furious. Furious at him for acting for months like he cared, and then just going right back to the way he was before.

"Katniss, you know I would have been there if I could-"

"If you could? _If you could_? Gale, this was the _most important _appointment, and you _missed it_!" I try to keep myself calm, but I start finding it harder and harder the longer I look at him.

"Katniss-"

"No. I can't believe I actually thought that you cared about any of this." I have to force myself to look away before I do something stupid like cry.

"Katniss I do care-"

"Then where were you today, huh? Where were you when we were supposed to find out the sex of the baby? _Our _baby."

"Katniss you know I had-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You had another "important case to work on"." I say, slamming my hands down to my sides. "You are such a selfish asshole." I ball up my fists and hold myself back from hitting him. I start to walk away, towards the living room, when he grasps my arm, pulling me to a stop.

"Are you not even going to tell me?" He asks, hurt filling his voice. I ignore him, and pull myself free from his hand.

"Why? Why should I? It's not like you care." I spit, turning and walking towards the stairs. I can hear him yelling from the entryway of the kitchen.

"Katniss!" I spin around before walking up the steps, furious.

"What?"

"I have a right to know!" Now he's angry, and we're both back to the good old Hawthorne's, yelling and screaming at each other like it's nobody's business. I most certainly did not miss this.

"Then maybe you should have been at that appointment with me!" I'm screaming now, pointing and yelling vicious things from the top of the stairs. I wave him off, walking into my bedroom. I hear Gale bounding up the stairs, and brace myself for more screaming. It just never ends, does it?

"Katniss, do not walk away from me!" He yells, walking through the doorway. I'm on the far side of the room, as far away from him as I can get. "You don't get to do that."

"What? I don't get to be mad at you for missing my appointment? Gale, you know I wanted you there! It's the most important one! And you missed it!" I'm trying my hardest not to burst into tears, I really am. But I've been holding it in for so long, and I finally let painful sobs wrack my body.

"You always choose your work over me and I'm _done!_ I'm done with you playing with my emotions like that!" I hit the wall behind me before sliding down and pulling my knees as close to my chest as possible. "Just leave!"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." He seethes, walking closer to me, but stopping in the middle of the room. "And you're going to tell me now."

"I'm not telling you anything." I bite back.

"You're going to tell me. It's my child too." Fear begins to bubble up inside of me at the tone of his voice. I look away from him, keeping my mouth shut.

"Damnit Katniss! I deserve to know! Fuck!" I wince when I feel him kneel down in front of me. He grabs my face and forces me to look at him. "You're going to tell me right now."

"No." I spit.

He pulls me up to where we're both standing, my back against the wall. I feel like everything is closing in on me, and I gasp for breath, not being able to find it. He takes both of my wrists into his hands, and holds them firmly. He stares at me with cold, hard eyes.

"Do I have to beg, Katniss? Is this how it's going to be?" His tone is pleading, but I don't feel any sympathy towards him. I don't even give him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze.

"I just want to know if I'm having a son, or a daughter." His tone is filled with anger now, when I don't respond. "You have to tell me!"

We're at a stand off. We both just stare at each other for what feels like an eternity before he breaks away from me, dropping my hands roughly to my sides. His stare is hard, and anger filled.

"Wow," is all he says. "So that's really how it's going to be."

I still don't say anything, never breaking his gaze.

"You're pathetic." He spits, and I wince. That hurts me more than he'll ever know, but I don't show it. I just stare daggers into him before he turns and stalks away. But before he leaves the room completely, I scream.

"You're having a daughter, you asshole!" I scream at the top of my lungs, no longer caring who hears. I finally allow myself to break down completely, my whole body shattering. Through my tears, I watch his whole body go rigid before turning back to face me.

"What?" His voice breaks, and I let out another gut-wrenching cry.

"I said you-" But before I can finish, he's taking me into his arms, wrapping himself completely around me. I try to fight him, to push him away. I hit him and I push him and scream for him to let go, but he doesn't budge, just pulls me tighter. I eventually give up, allowing him to envelope me completely.

"A daughter," he sighs into my neck. "We're having a little girl." I'm still shaking and crying from all of the screaming, that I don't notice him looking at me.

"A girl, Katniss. A baby girl." I nod my head dumbly and look away, feeling extremely uncomfortable under his stare. His arms don't at all loosen around me, even when I try to break away.

* * *

"Thanks again for coming on such short notice, Katniss." Peeta says, stepping aside and allowing me into his home. His house in located in a nice, gated community just outside of the city. It's most definitely upscale compared to what I'm used to seeing.

"It's no problem, really," I smile, stepping through the double doorway. Avery comes bounding down the stairs behind Peeta, running straight past him and into my open arms.

"Katniss!" He screams, hugging me around the neck. "You came back!"

"I did!" I say, tickling his sides. I look at Peeta, who's staring at me. I set Avery on the floor, sure that he's all too heavy for me to be carrying at this point. He wraps his arms around my leg, standing beside me.

"He's been talking about you non-stop all day, ever since I told him you were coming over." Peeta says, smiling. "He told me that he can't wait to show you all of his toys and video games." Avery smiles up at me, shaking his head.

"I do! I do!" He says, running back up the stairs. He stops, taking one last look at me before darting down the hall. I hear a door slam, and look at Peeta with an exasperated smile.

"He's really something," I laugh.

"He really likes you," he smiles, shoving his hands into his pockets. He leans against the stairs railing, and I have to look away to hide my blush.

"Anyways, I should probably get to the restaurant. Thank you, again." I smile, and hold my breath when he brushes past me to reach for his jacket. He opens the door and turns around, waving his hand. "I'll be back before midnight."

I watch him leave through the door, pulling out of the driveway and then speeding off down the street. Once I can't see him anymore, I walk up the stairs, and towards what I believe to be Avery's room, which is marked with a big red 'A' on the dark oak door.

The main upstairs hallway is lined with multiple framed pictures of Peeta and Avery. There's a newborn picture, and a first birthday picture with Peeta holding him with cake smashed onto his face. I smile, and run my nimble fingers over the glass. _I'll get to do this soon._

There are many more pictures, but all of them only of Peeta and Avery, and absolutely no sign of the mystery ex-wife. There's not even a hint of feminine presence throughout, anywhere. No pictures, nothing. There's a tugging feeling deep in my chest when I think about what must have happened to cause Peeta to want to erase even the mere memory of this woman.

I shove the thought aside, and walk up to Avery's door. I knock on it twice, and he opens it seconds later, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"Did you come to play with me?" He asks, and I step inside. "I have paint!"

"You do?" I ask, raising my eyebrows and placing my fists on my hips. "Do you want me to paint with you?" His face lights up instantaneously, and grabs my hand and pulls me to his easel. I kneel down beside him, and study what he has already painted.

"Wow," I whisper to myself. These are extremely well painted for a five year old. I look to my left, where I see a bigger canvas covered in a tarp. Curiosity gets the better of me and I reach to uncover it before Avery speaks.

"My daddy painted that," I quirk my eyebrow, and remove the tarp. I'm immediately taken aback. It's a beautiful sunset, the colors meshing together so perfectly. It's as if I'm really standing in front of the Seattle sunset, the oranges and pinks blending together. I run my hands over the roughness of the canvas, letting my hand linger for a while.

"Your dad painted this?" I ask, making sure I'm not hallucinating.

"He did!"

"Well, this is _very_ good," I tell him. He looks at me and smiles. "Do you help him?"

"I do! But daddy says his paintings are really important and not to touch them." He says, trying to make his voice sounds serious. He points his finger, showing that he is making a point, scolding me for touching the painting.

"Okay, I won't touch them again," I laugh, ruffling his hair.

After almost an hour of painting, and another two hours of playing with blocks and toys, and another hour of a movie, he finally starts to get irritated and cranky around eight o'clock. _Ah, there it is. _It's about time, I'm so worn out I feel like I could sleep for years.

"You ready for bed Avery?" I ask, and he throws himself onto the floor. He starts kicking and screaming and it makes me want to pull my hair out. _So this is what it's like after I bring him back home._

"No!" He screams, rolling over onto his belly. "I'm not tired!"

"Avery come on," I count to ten before scooping him up in my arms. If I have to carry him all the way to his bed and hold him down until he goes to sleep, so help me, I will.

I carry him from the living room, up the stairs, and into his room. He finally stops kicking and struggling when I set him on the bed after dressing him in his favorite pajamas. It's a normal sized twin bed, with a plain orange comforter.

"You going to be okay?" I ask, wiping the sweat off of his forehead that formed while struggling to keep me from carrying him. "I'll be downstairs if you need me, okay?" I start to stand from the bed, but he grabs the sleeve of my shirt and pulls.

"Will you stay with me, Kahniss…?" He yawns, and I have to give in. I crawl in the bed with him, pulling up the covers to cover him only. It is entirely too hot for me to cover up.

"Okay. I'll stay," I whisper, smoothing down his hair. He curls into my side, laying his head on my shoulder. I smile, and try not to…fall…asleep…

"Katniss?"

I wake up to see Peeta standing above me, gently shaking my shoulder.

"Katniss, I'm back," I rub my eyes and look at him, my eyes fuzzy. "I think you fell asleep." He laughs. I sit up, sliding my legs off the edge of the bed.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"Uh, its twelve o'clock." I smile sheepishly, smoothing my hair down. He laughs, reaching out and moving a strand of hair that was stuck to my check. I jump at the contact, turning my head away.

"I can't believe I slept for four hours," I look at Avery's sleeping form, snoring away in his sleep. It makes a smile tug at the corners at my lips, and I can't help but reach out and wipe the matted hair from his sweaty forehead.

"You're really good with him…" I forgot Peeta was standing there, and it causes me to jump slightly.

"Oh, uh, yeah…he's a really good kid," I say. "Until it's time for bed." We both stare at each other for entirely too long, before he bursts out into a quiet laughing fit, staring down at his son.

"Ah, so I'm guessing you got to experience the devil side of Avery tonight?" He laughs again, holding his hand out. I take it, and he helps me stand.

"Um, yeah. He was…quite the handful." I follow him out of the room and down the stairs. But, halfway down, I feel a swift kick to my ribcage and I have to grab the railing for support. _That's her first real kick._

"Are you okay?" I look up at Peeta, who has a concerned look on his face. He walks back up the steps, meeting me from a few steps down from where I'm standing.

"Yeah…sorry. She just kicked." His eyes widen before his face breaks out into a smile that he tries to hide.

"She?" He asks.

"Oh, yeah. I just found out today." I smile. He just stares at me with that stupid smile of his, before his face falls. A flash of something that I can't quite place flashes across his face.

"Oh, um, congratulations." His voice has lost any lift that he had to it, and he just turns and walks back to the door, holding it open. I try not to look too disappointed when he doesn't return my smile.

"Thank you for watching him, he really loves you," he finally offers me a warm smile, handing me my jacket and purse.

"Anytime," I say, walking out the door. He shuts it firmly, and I have to keep myself from feeling anxiety rise up in me. _Something doesn't feel right. _

I shake it off, and try not to worry about it.

Once I'm home, I notice Gale's care is parked in the driveway. It's 12:30am, why in the hell is he here so late? Why is he even here at all? The only lights on in the house are in the living room.

I unlock the door, and as quietly as I possibly can, shut the door behind me. When I look up, I see that Gale has materialized in front of the staircase. Anger bubbles up inside of me at the sight of him.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. He just stands there, staring at me.

"I think the better question is, where have you been?" I stare at him, blinking my eyes rapidly. I open and close my fists repeatedly, a nervous habit.

"Gale, you can't just keep showing up at my house, especially this late at night. What are you doing here?" He doesn't answer.

"It _is_ late at night, and you shouldn't be out. Where were you? I'm not going to ask again." My mouth falls open. I'm so tired, and so exhausted, that I really just don't feel like putting up a fight right now.

"I was babysitting." He scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Babysitting my ass," he says, walking to stand in front of me. "This late at night? I don't think so."

"Damn you Gale, yes I was. Peeta works late and has to close his restaurant, so I was babysitting his son again. Remember him? He was over here the other day when you just showed up here without telling me." I point at his chest, pushing on it. "Besides, what the hell else was I going to do? I'm pregnant."

"Yes, you're pregnant, and it's my baby. So I have the right to know where you are, and why you're staying out so late," he says, brushing a loose strand of hair out of my face. I smack his hand away. "You shouldn't be out so late."

"Damnit Gale, it _is_ late. And I really don't feel like fighting with you right now. Just go home." I demand, pushing past him and walking towards the stairs.

"I am home. I want this to be our home again. Please, let me come home." I spin around, staring at him.

"No," I spit.

"Katniss, don't you see? This whole thing is ridiculous. We shouldn't be divorced, we're about to have a baby." I shake my head. If looks could kill, he would be dead right now.

"Fuck, Gale!" I scream. I'm so tired of dealing with this bullshit. "You signed the papers! You agreed to this. You moved out, you have your own place!" I have to grip the railing of the stairs so I don't fall. I take a few deep breaths before continuing. "Gale, you agreed to this."

"I did it for you. Because I knew you wanted it. But Katniss, I didn't want that. I wanted to be here, with you, and our _daughter_." I squeeze my eyes shut and wince.

"That's not fair. You can't do that…throw that in my face like that."

"Not fair? You wanna talk to me about what's _not fair?_ Getting kicked out of my own home, and getting divorced while we're about to have a baby. _That's not fair." _He yells, although I can tell he's trying not to. "And fuck, Katniss. I loved you. And this just isn't what I wanted." I laugh.

"You think this is what I wanted?" I ask, pointing at myself. "You think I wanted this to happen? You really think that I wanted to get pregnant, while in the middle of getting a divorce? No, Gale. This isn't what I wanted." I can feel myself shaking, and wrap my arms around myself. "Turns out, though…we don't always get what we want."

"Katniss…" He holds his arm out, reaching towards me, but I just push it away.

"I think you should go home, Gale." I don't wait around to see him leave. I walk upstairs and crawl into the bed, curling up into myself, willing myself not to cry.

* * *

It's spring cleaning time, or rather, late January cleaning, and what better time to clean out your house, than when you're trying to get rid of your ex-husbands leftover belongings. He's left a variety of things, for which I'm throwing away, but he's also left a lot of sentimental things, surely knowing that I would come across them. I'm surprised when I find most of our photo albums in a box labeled as "random/trash". A pang of pain courses through me at the thought that he wants to throw these away. I pick up one of the albums, and flip it open.

_It's out wedding album._

There we stand, hand in hand standing at the alter, looking at each other like we are each other's suns. I look so happy, with my face in the widest smile I've ever seen grace my lips, and Gale looking as dapper as ever. We both look so happy and in love. _What happened to us..._

I run my hand gently across the front of our wedding photo. I've been keeping a copy of it in my bedside drawer, but I've come to the conclusion that I need to permanently move on from it. I'll always love Gale, just not the way I used to.

I stuff the photo in the bottom of a cardboard box that I've labeled as "storage", along with all of the rest of our photo albums. I may not want them in this house, but I would never throw them away.

I drop one of the albums, and it lands on a picture of…our first date. I clutch it tightly in my hands, trying not to cry. We were just freshmen in high-school. Me, with my still childish features, and Gale with his awkward, lopsided smile. I take a deep breath before removing the picture, and stuffing it in my bedside table drawer. I tell myself that I'll keep just the one, but I end up keeping several.

A lot of the pictures that I decide to keep are from college. One, where Gale threw a Halloween party, and we dressed up together as Batman and Cat woman, his hand thrown lazily around my waist and looking at me while I hold my drink in my hand, sticking my tongue out at him. I keep many, many more, but when I stumble across our college graduation pictures, I have to try to keep calm.

_This is where he proposed to me._

We had barely even made it out into the parking lot, still dressed in our robes, before he was down on one knee, proclaiming his love for me in front of our entire graduating class. The picture is a little out of focus, but it doesn't matter, it's still so precious. I hold it tightly to my chest, trying to remember the better times that we had together. _Happy._

It seems like it was so long ago when we were both happy. I remember when we first got married, and Gale said he bought us a house when we returned from our honeymoon. I was so in awe at the time, only now does the sight of this house cause me pain.

I stuff the albums into the box, placing it in the corner of my closet. I take a deep breath and sigh. It's finally done. All of Gales things are gone, permanently. I bite my lip at the thought of never having to wake up to screaming and arguing anymore. No more fighting, no more being miserable all of the time. We even have custody set up already.

He'll come over on the weekends to help take care of her, if I need his help. As for the other days, he just gets to come whenever I allow it. Which, for the first year, will be pretty often. We'll get through it, maybe not without disagreement, but we'll make it. Sure enough, we'll be fine.

* * *

**_I swear to you that I'm working on October. But I've written and rewritten Ch. 13 so many times and I just haven't been satisfied with it. I'm trying to make it the best I can, and I swear I'm working on it. I've just been having severe writers block._**

**_Also, I have the flu, so I may not be updating for a week or so. But who knows, maybe I'll get better sooner than later._**

**_Hope you like the chapter!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey guys, sorry for the wait for this update. I've been in bed with the flu and sinus infection, and I haven't been of much use lately. So sorry. But finally, here's the next chapter for you guys._**

**_This chapter is kind of Peeta and Katniss' chapter, where they kind of start to form a bond, and an actual relationship. I know that this is what a lot of people have been waiting for, and I have been more than willing to deliver. I just hope you guys like it. I'm trying to make it as perfect as possible._**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

The weather is horrid today, with a constant downpour of rain and sleet, you would think the world was ending. And, although most people would consider this weather to be awful, I particularly love it. The constant pounding of the rain on the roof calms my nerves, and sooths my every being.

I stare out the window, towel drying my hair, when my thoughts wander to Peeta, whose usually happy demeanor has been replaced with a kind of sullen attitude. I can't place why he's acting the way he's been acting lately, but I'm determined to find out soon. It's not that's he's been angry, or even upset, he's just been…restricted.

The only real chances that I have been able to talk to him have been between coming over to babysit, and leaving. And, even then, that doesn't give us much time, because he's always in a hurry to rush me out the door. And, now that I think about it, it makes me a little angry. I don't know why, and I can't place the feeling, but it makes me feel…hurt.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts immediately when my phone starts to ring. _Speak of the devil_.

I let it ring a few times before I pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Katniss?" It's noisy, and I can hear Avery jabbing on and making noises in the background.

"Yeah?"

"Are you busy around two?" I glance at the clock, it's only eleven thirty.

"Um, I don't think so."

"Great!" He sounds happy, actually. "Would you be willing to meet me somewhere for lunch?" He asks. I think about it for a few seconds before answering.

"Sure…I guess." I don't want to sound too eager, but I really need to talk to him.

"Okay," he pauses before continuing. "Can you meet me at my restaurant? And then we can go from there."

"Yeah, that should be fine." I bite my lip to keep from smiling too wide.

"Great, I'll see you at two."

"See you at two." I hang up, and throw my phone onto the mattress. I press my lips together and try not to scream.

* * *

"It's not a date," I tell Prim.

"Whatever you say," she smiles, and it takes all of my will power not to slap her.

"It's not!" I yell. She's going through my closet, trying to find something for me to wear. She finally decides on a pair of dark blue jeans and a loose fitting white, long sleeved shirt. I am almost seven months pregnant, after all.

"I'm having another mans baby," I shoot her a look, pointing to my growing belly. "It's not a date."

"I'm just saying…you want to look the part." I roll my eyes at my sisters insistent nagging.

"I don't need to 'look' anything. We're just going to lunch."

"Exactly, which means it's a date." I groan, and hide my face in my hands. This can't be a date. I don't even know if I want it to be a date.

"Prim, this is ridiculous. I shouldn't even…I shouldn't even be going out. I mean…really?" I stumble over my words as I sling my arms through the sleeves of my shirt. It gets stuck trying to fit over my stomach, and Prim has to help me stretch it.

"Besides, who wants to date a seven months pregnant woman, who's pregnant by another man?" Prim smiles before rolling her eyes.

"Peeta Mellark."

_I could kill her._

She starts to burst out laughing at the look I'm giving her. "Shut up," I spit. "This isn't funny."

"No no, it's not. I'm sorry. It's just-" she stops herself, taking a deep breath while trying to calm herself down. "You're getting so worked up."

"Worked up? For the love of god Prim-" I throw my hands down to my sides. "-why wouldn't I be worked up?" I say, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She walks over to my vanity and plucks up a brush and sits down behind me on my bed, beginning to run the brush through my long hair.

"You need to relax, Katniss," she starts. "Just don't worry about it."

"I don't date, Prim," I say, fisting the blankets in my hand. "I've only ever dated Gale, and well, we know how that turned out."

"First, you need to stop comparing him to Gale. Peeta isn't Gale, okay?"

"I know, it's just…am I stupid to actually think that I might…feel something for him?" I turn to face her, and she drops the brush onto the floor, pulling me into a hug. I'm confused at first, but I wrap my arms around her, hugging her closer to me.

"You deserve to be happy," she sighs, and pulls away to look at me. "And, if Peeta makes you happy, then go for it."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"A hundred percent."

* * *

I pull into the parking lot of Peeta's restaurant, and begin to panic. I feel my anxiety rushing to me all at once, and I rest my head against the steering wheel. I take several deep breaths in order to calm my aching nerves, but it doesn't seem to do me any justice.

A sudden knocking on my window knocks me out of my daze. Peeta's calm face is on the other side of the frosty glass, and I roll down my window.

"You okay?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "You've been sitting out here for a good ten minutes. It's freezing out, you should come inside." I roll my window back up and get out of my car, accepting his hand as he walks me to the door.

"No kid today?" I ask, walking through the door that he has opened for me.

"Ah, no," he says, following close behind. "He's with his mother this afternoon. One of the _very few_ times she gets him."

"Oh, okay." I don't press him any further. "So, lunch?" I ask.

"Yeah, ah, I wanted to take you out," he stutters. He never stutters. "I just wanted to talk to you." He finalizes.

"Okay, well…where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you somewhere special." I raise my eyebrows at him, but he doesn't seem to notice my confusion. "Just trust me." He grabs my hand and leads me to the back of the restaurant, to the private parking lot where his car is parked. He walks me to the passenger side and opens the door for me. I smile at him before climbing in.

We drive in relative silence, the only noise being the rain pouring down outside, and the light music playing on the radio. I look over to Peeta a few times, but his face is mostly neutral, apart from when he catches me staring at him. And when he does, he smirks when I turn my head away, a fierce blush forming on my cheeks.

After twenty minutes of driving around downtown, he finally pulls into the parking lot of _Mason's_, a small diner right in the heart of downtown Seattle. This place has been around for ages.

Before I get the chance to say anything, Peeta speaks up.

"I know it's a really shitty diner, that serves really crappy coffee," he starts, turning to look at me. "But my dad used to bring me here every Saturday morning when I was a kid. So it's kind of a tradition for me to come ever Saturday afternoon." He smiles brightly at me, and I feel, for the first time in a long time…happy. He wants to include me in his life. So I smile back at him.

"Usually I bring Avery, since it was a kind of father and son thing, but I figured I would bring you today." He gets out of the car and walks over to my side, opening the door for me. He offers me his hand, and I graciously take it.

Once we walk in, a tall, dark haired man greets us at the counter.

"Ah, Peeta, hello." He greets him, shaking his hand.

"Hey, Mark." Peeta chimes. I watch the man's eyes roam over me, drifting over my stomach before falling back to my eyes. He doesn't say anything about it.

"Avery not joining you this evening?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow.

"Ah, no. He's with the misses."

"I'm sorry about that," he says gently. And it makes me question why. "So, a booth? Or a table?"

"Booth," Peeta smiles, and we follow the man to a booth near the back of the diner.

"Johanna will be here soon to take your order," Mark nods his head to Peeta before walking back to the front of the building.

"So…" I start. "You've been coming here a long time, huh?"

"Oh, uh yeah. Ever since I was able to walk, that is." My eyes widen, and I can't help the smile that crosses my lips.

"Wow, that's quite the tradition."

"Tell me about it, my pops says this kid's been around since he could barely talk." My attention is now directed to a tall, and dark short-haired woman, who's jabbing her thumb towards Peeta. "He's definitely a familiar face around here."

"Oh shut it, Johanna." Peeta jokes, shooting daggers at the woman.

"Where's the kid? This is like…the first time you've eva been here without him." Her accent is thick, and richly northern.

Peeta rolls his eyes. "He's with his mother." That's all he has to say for her to back off.

"Oh, okay. Well, what can I get ya?" She asks me. "I know he's gettin' the regular."

"Oh, um…I'll just have the number two."

"Great, I'll get em' out to ya as soon as I can." She smiles, and takes our menus from us before quickly shuffling to the kitchen.

"Wow, seems like you've got quite the reputation here." I finally say, after what seems like an endless time of silence.

"Oh, yeah," he laughs. "I mean, after coming to the same place for more than twenty years, I'd say people will remember you." I smile. Twenty years? That would mean he would have been coming here since he was only two or so. At the age of twenty-five, he's only a year older than me.

"Wow…twenty years huh? Your dad stop coming with you because you got too old?" I laugh, but stop when I realize he's gone completely silent.

"Ah, no. He uh…he passed a few years back."

"Oh…I'm…I'm so sorry, I didn't know…" I admit. He sits there, looking pensive, his hands tightly clasped together. He's looking hard at the table, not making eye contact, even when he speaks to me.

"Everyone here knew him. He was kind of a living legend."

"How so?"

"It's a long story…maybe I'll tell it to you sometime." He finally looks up at me with sad eyes. But, as soon as he makes eye contact with me for a few seconds, his face softens, and I smile.

"So," he starts, changing the subject. "I really wanted to talk to you." I feel knots forming in my stomach. All I can do is nod my head.

"I know I've been a real dick to you lately," this completely shocks me. I didn't think he realized that he was actually acting the way he was acting. "And I just wanted to apologize for that."

"Really?"

"Yeah…I know I haven't been particularly nice to-"

"Particularly nice? Peeta, you outright ignored me for a solid month." I say, opening and closing my fists underneath the table.

"I know, I know." He says flatly. "And I'm sorry. You just have to understand that…I didn't really know how to handle this situation."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't know how to approach the situation without scaring you off." I raise my eyebrows.

"Scaring me off? Peeta, you're not making any sense."

"I like you." There it is. Out on the table. "I really like you." _Fuck._

"I-"

We're suddenly interrupted by Johanna bringing us our food. She shares secret glances with Peeta before leaving us alone.

We don't get the chance to finish our conversation.

As we eat in silence, neither of us making any move to strike up a conversation. The whole meal is filled with silent gestures and subtle eye contact. And, once we're both done, Peeta pays, and we both exit the diner quietly.

Once we get to his car, I climb in and start to buckle myself, when suddenly, Peeta's lips are on mine. He's leaning over the console, his hands cradling my face. I let myself revel in his warmth before I realize what's happening, and quickly pull away. My hand flies up to my lips, and I gently trace my thumb along the seam of my lower lip.

"I'm sorry," he says, backing away and settling back into his seat. "I had to do that, at least once."

"Don't apologize." The words are out of my mouth before I even knew what I was going to say. His eyes meet mine, wide, and confused. His face contorts into something like happiness, before falling into a more neutral tone, his eyebrows creasing together.

"I shouldn't have, I'm sorry."

"No...don't be." I silently berate myself for actually liking the feeling of his lips against mine. But, then I realize that I don't have to be ashamed of myself for liking it. I'm allowed to be happy.

"What?" He looks confused. But before he can say anything else, I lean over and gently peck his lips.

"Because I like you too."

He's smiling widely now, and leans back over, taking my face back into his hands again, and crashes his lips to mine. I open my mouth for him, and he slips his tongue in, sliding it against my own. I moan at the contact of another mans touch, and have to remind myself that I'm not a horny teenager anymore.

I break away, gasping for breath. I stare at him through half lidded eyes, and instinctively lick my lips.

"I don't want to mess this up," his face is hovering only inches from mine, and I can feel his warm breath tickle my face as he speaks. "I don't want to mess this up," he repeats.

"What…what do you mean?"

"I mean…I like you. And, I know that this is going to be really complicated, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm in," he starts, looking down at my stomach before directing his gaze back at me. "I'm all in, if you'll allow it."

It takes me a few seconds to process all that he is saying. This is all happening so fast.

"Peeta…" I start. "We barely even know each other."

"Then lets get to know each other," he says, taking my hands in his. "Come over for dinner tonight. I'll cook, and you, me, and Avery…we can all eat together." He smiles at me so brightly, that it would be stupid to say no.

"Okay…" I say. "I'll allow it."

* * *

_This is stupid. _

I keep telling myself that the entire car ride to Peeta's house. This is stupid. I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be dating right now. But the longer I drive, the harder I find it is to keep myself from going. So, I keep driving, and eventually find myself in front of Peeta's house.

There's an extra car in the driveway, and I can't place who it could be. But as I get out and walk to the door, I hear the screaming from the other side of the door, and immediately want to run away.

"You can't do that, Peeta! He's my son too!"

_This is wrong. _I shouldn't be eves dropping like this.

"Then maybe you should have acted like it before you decided to leave!" I hear Peeta scream. I shamelessly peek though one of the windows on the porch, and see them standing in the forier in front of the stair case, just feet from each other.

_I really shouldn't be doing this._

"Me? You kicked _me_ out, Peeta! You pushed _me_ away!"

"Here we go again. It's always my fault isn't it?"

"Yes!" I see Avery peek his head around the corner upstairs, and get a sinking feeling of dread in the bottom of my stomach. No child should have to watch this.

"Come on Avery, you're coming with me." The woman yells, motioning for Avery to come to her. But as soon as Avery starts walking, Peeta speaks up.

"No, you're not taking him!"

"The hell I'm not!" She stalks up the stairs and grabs Avery's arm, yanking him down the stairs and towards the door. I back away from the window, pressing my back against the cold brick.

"You don't have the right to keep me from taking him." I hear the woman say. I can almost feel Peeta's anger, when I realize that it's me. I'm the angry one.

"I do, I got the right to keep him. I have sole custody of him, because you decided to run off when you thought it got too hard for you. So I'm sorry, but _my_ son is staying with me." I smile.

"Oh bullshit Peeta, you're all talk. I'm taking my son-" she stops for a second. "Come on Avery, let's go."

"I said you're not taking him."

"I don't want to leave." My heart stops, and it seems theirs does as well. There's a long moment of silence before anyone says anything else. "I want to stay with dad."

My chest physically hurts for Avery. He shouldn't have to be the one to mediate between his parents. I want more than anything to hold him and tell him, everything is going to be okay.

"You are, Avery. You're staying here. Mom's not gonna take you." I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the screaming, but it never comes. Instead, the door swings open, and a very angry looking blonde woman stalks out, stopping only when she sees my standing against the wall. That's the first time I get a really good look at her.

She's beautiful. Really, really beautiful. With blonde, curly, flowing hair, and round blue eyes. I can see why Peeta would have wanted to be with her. I suddenly feel insecure, and wrap my arms across my chest. Chills shoots down my spine when her eyes meet mine. Cold, and hard.

But, she doesn't say anything, just turns and walks away, slamming the door to her car and speeding down the street towards the gate. I have to take a few deep breathes before I decide to look up.

Peeta's standing there, his eyes red, and wide with horror. He must know I heard just about everything.

"Peeta-" I start to say, but his arms around me in an instant, hugging me close. Confusion fills me, but I wrap my arms around his back, rubbing my hands up and down.

"I'm sorry," is all I can manage to say. He pulls away and looks at me.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't know she was going to be here, or I wouldn't have told you to be here at seven," he says, stepping away from me. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"No, I'm sorry…I didn't know it was that bad…"

"Yeah, it gets a lot worse than that-"

"Katniss!" I look behind Peeta at the door, and see Avery running through the open door. I kneel down, and he throws himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I missed you!" He says smiling. I ruffle his matted curls, and swipe them from his forehead. "Mommy was being mean to daddy."

Peeta's eyes go wide, and I stand.

"Avery," Peeta shakes his head, telling Avery not to say anything else. For that, I'm grateful.

"Come in, come in. It's freezing out here, gosh," Peeta directs me into the door, and takes my jacket from me, hanging it on the coat rack by the door. "So sorry you were standing out there in that mess." I give him a reassuring smile, looking outside to see the rain still coming down outside.

"It's okay."

"Anyways, I made dinner," he says, walking me to the kitchen. It smells like heaven, and I have to tell myself that this is actually real.

"I made Spaghetti. I know it's simple, but I wanted to ease you into this," he says, pulling out a chair at the table. Avery runs over and claims the chair next to me.

"Ease me into it? Into what?" I laugh.

"Well, I don't mean to brag, Katniss, but I'm a pretty good chef. I want to ease you into this extravagant dining experience." I laugh even harder, shamelessly staring at his ass as he makes his way to the other side of the table, taking a seat across from me and Avery.

He grabs my plate, and puts food onto it, then grabbing Avery's and doing the same.

I lift the fork to my mouth, and have to restrain myself moaning. It's delectable. I see Peeta watching me, and watch the smile break onto his face when he sees me enjoying it.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, just watching you." He smirks, and I stick my tongue out at him. I feel a bony elbow hit my arm.

"Daddy says no sticking your tongue out at the table," Avery says, pointing at me. "It's rude table manners." I try to keep my composure, but I can't contain my laugh. Avery just stares at me, and I stop myself.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I apologize.

"I do believe you just got told by a five year old." Peeta smirks, and I reach across the table and smack his hand.

"No hitting either!" Avery huffs. "Am I the only grown up here?" He pouts his bottom lip, and crosses his arms across his chest. Peeta and I exchange glances, smiling.

"I'm sorry, Avery. I'll behave." I say, ruffling his hair. He giggles and squirms in his seat.

"S'okay," he shrugs his shoulders.

We continue eating, and I listen and both Peeta and Avery share crazy stories about things that I'm sure half of it is made up. I hear about the trolls that live in Avery's closet, and the ghost that lives under his bed that talks to him before he goes to bed.

And apparently, Avery is a quite the ladies man at school.

"Katniss, did you know Avery has a girlfriend?" I almost choke on my water. I snap my head towards Avery, who's face suddenly gets beet red.

"Do not!" He yells. "Olivia is _not_ my girlfriend!"

"Is she your friend?" I ask innocently.

"Yessum, she's my best friend. We play together at recess." He smiles, tapping his fork against his plate.

"Not to mention she comes over here to play a lot." Peeta inturrupts, lifting his glass to his mouth and taking a drink of his water. "She's one of my friends girl, went to high-school with him.

"Ahh," I say. "Is she cute?" Avery's face just grows redder.

"I-I don't know! Girls aren't cute! They have cooties!" _Ah_, _the_ _cootie_ _stage_.

"That's right, no liking girls until you are older." I say with a smile. I meet Peeta's gaze, and find him smiling too.

We finish eating, and Peeta takes all three of our plates to the kitchen. I sit there talking to Avery, but he seems to be getting bored. I'm just about to ask him if he wants to watch a movie with Peeta and I, but his mind takes him in another direction.

"Are you gonna have a baby, Katniss?" The question catches me off guard, and I choke on my water. I hear a crash in the kitchen, and turn around to find Peeta standing there with wide eyes, a broken plate on the floor by his feet.

"What? Um…Yes, yeah." I stutter, not really knowing how to approach this.

"But, it's not my daddy's baby, is it?" His face looks sad, but curious.

"Um…no. I-It's not." His face falls, and he looks at the ground. I look to Peeta for help, but he just stands there, frozen in place.

"Then whose baby is it?" I chew on my bottom lip. How in the hell do you explain this to a five year old? I take Avery's hand and lead him into the living room, and set him down across from me on the couch. I tuck my legs underneath me, and fold my hands in my lap. He stares at me with his full attention.

"You see Avery…" I start. "You have a mommy, right?" He shakes his head.

"But my mommy doesn't stay here." He says, and I nod my head.

"Right. And my baby has a daddy, but he doesn't stay with me, either." He nods his head like he's understanding.

"So I won't get a little brother or sister?" His face turns sad, and I lift his chin with my hand to look at me.

"It won't be your sister, but if you're really good, I'll let you hold her when she gets here." He immediately brightens up, smiling wider than I have ever seen him smile before.

"Did you hear that daddy? I'll get to hold the baby!" I look behind me and notice Peeta walking towards me with a cup of something warm. He hands it to me, and I smell it. _Hot_ _chocholate_.

"Yes, I heard," he says, sitting down next to me. "But you know Avery, you have to be very gentle when she gets here," he says, taking him into his lap. "She won't be a toy. She will be very little for a long time. And we might not get to see her right away, because she will have a daddy that will want to spend time with her." He whispers, but I catch the hint of sadness that fills his voice.

"Okay dad."

"Now go get ready for bed," Peeta demands, and Avery runs up the stairs. There's a thick silence in the room.

"Sorry about that. He's…full of questions these days." Peeta says, running a hand through his messy hair.

"It's okay, he's just curious. Kids are like that." He smiles at me, and I swipe his hair from his forehead. He sighs deeply and closes his eyes, pursing his lips together.

"There something you wanna talk about?" I ask, and he opens his eyes.

"I guess I'm just a little confused."

"Confused? About what?"

"You're going to have the baby in what, two months? And then what? Your ex is going to be coming around all of the time, and I'm sure he's not going to want another man coming into your home to play house with his daughter." He sighs and sinks back into the couch.

"I…Gale can be complicated…" I start, twisting my thumbs together. "It's not his decision to make. He doesn't control my life." I tell him. He just stares at me blankly.

"Yes, he'll be around more than I would like, but I can't keep him from seeing his own child. He at least deserves that." I see the hurt flash across Peeta's face, and immediately regret what I said.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Our situations are completely different. I'm sorry if I made it sound like I was being hateful." I quickly apologize, rubbing his arm. He looks up at me with sad eyes.

"No, no. It's fine, I understand. And that's why I wanted to talk to you. Because I know that Gale is going to be a part of the deal. I realize that he's a part of this, and if I want you, if you'll have me, Gale is always going to be a part of our lives." I listen to him carefully, taking in everything that he is saying.

"He is. I wish he wasn't, but he is a part of this…" I look down, holding my mug tightly in my hands. "I wish more than anything that it was just us."

"Me too," he whispers. "Me too."

"I'm scared, Peeta." I finally admit. He takes the mug from my hand and puts it on the coffee table, and reaches for me. He pulls me into his arms, and I rest my head against his chest, feeling the rise and fall. He begins running his fingers through my hair.

"It's gong to be a long, really fucking long road. But we can do it," he says. "I know we can do it."

* * *

**_Phew, I hope you like this chapter! I just wanted a chapter to develop some more relationship with Peeta and Katniss, with the right amount of time between chapters. I hope I didn't screw anything up, because I really like this chapter!_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hey guys! Yes, the story is finally taking off, and it's just going to get better from here on out._**

**_But I have to warn you, I may begin updating these stories a bit slower, because college just started back up, and I'm going to be really busy. I'm going to be swamped during the week days, so probably be expecting updates to be on the weekends. _**

**_I'm really sorry, and I really love writing these, but I have to put college first. But don't worry, I won't make you wait months, just possibly a weeks or two between updates._**

* * *

As the weeks progress on closing in on my due date, I have been put on bed rest. I've only been in bed for one goddamn week, and I think I might actually implode. If there's one thing I hate more than anything, it's not being able to walk around and do things myself. I absolutely hate the thought of someone else having to take care of me, when I should be perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Yet everyday this week, Peeta has come by in the afternoon before the restaurant opens, and at night before he goes home.

And as if right on cue, he's texting me, telling me that he's here. I gave him a spare key a while ago in case something like this happened, and I don't regret it at all. Gale doesn't know, maybe it's better that he doesn't.

_He doesn't even know I'm seeing anyone._

I can hear Peeta's heavy footsteps thudding up the stairs, and think to myself just how loud this man is. He could probably be detected from a mile away.

"Hey," he peeks his head through the door before stepping through. "I brought you these," he holds up a plate of steaming cheese bunds, and I can practically feel my mouth already watering.

"You're a life saver," I say. He moves to sit on the edge of the bed after setting the plate down on my bedside table.

"Someone has to take care of you," he mumbles, keeping his gaze on the floor. I run my hands along the perimeter of my belly and sigh, knowing that he's talking about the lack of Gale.

Gale doesn't even know I'm on bed rest. He's gone again, somewhere traveling with his work for God knows what. But I don't even care at this point. The only thing I care about is him making the birth.

"I have to go now, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know this is miserable for you."

"It's the final stretch, I'm almost there," I smile, meeting his eyes. He gives me a soft smile and stands from the bed, walking over to my side of the bed and placing a gentle kiss onto my lips.

"Ahem," my eyes shoot straight to the doorway, where Gale stands with his arms crossed. Fear shoots through me, and I watch as Peeta goes rigid in front of me. He slowly turns around, and I brace myself.

Gale gives me a hard glance before directing his gaze to Peeta. I swallow nervously.

"Why didn't you tell me you were put on bed rest, love?" I roll my eyes as the anger begins to set in.

"What did I tell you about just walking in here without calling me?"

"That's not the problem right now. The problem is that I had to find this out from someone else, and not from you." His eyes are trained on me, and I have to bite back my scream.

"You weren't here," I mutter through gritted teeth.

"For fucks sake, Katniss! You're supposed to tell me when things like this happens!" I open my mouth to tell him to stop screaming, but Peeta beats me to it.

"Don't yell at her, she doesn't need this." His back is turned to me, but I can see him close his fists.

"Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?"

"Gale-"

"Who the fuck is he, Katniss?"

"You need to calm down, Gale." I try to keep my voice steady, but it comes out shaky. I hate it when he gets like this, and I just want this to be over.

"Katniss, you need to tell me when something like this happens! I deserve to know!"

"Stop yelling!"

"Hey, both of you need to stop yelling," Peeta intervenes, putting his hands out in front of him. "It's not good for her."

"What do you know?"

"I know a lot more than you." Gale's eyes widen and he looks over to me. Peeta turns to me then, leaning down and kissing me full on the mouth. I hear Gale gasp and let myself melt into Peeta. He pulls away seconds later, smoothing my hair down on the top of my head.

"I really need to get to work, you going to be okay?" I look over his shoulder at Gale, and nod.

"I should be fine," I whisper, tilting my head up to kiss him again. Peeta stands and walks out the door, brushing past Gale.

I'm left alone with Gale, and I couldn't be anymore terrified to take on the conversation we are about to have to have. I run my hands over my face and slam them down to my sides on the bed. Gale walks over and sits down beside me, I scoot away.

"Don't do that," he whispers, and I raise my eyebrows. "I'm not going to touch you." I relax against the headboard, and rub my eyes. I'm exhausted and I've barely even moved.

"Just tell me what you want," I don't mean it to come out so bitterly.

"I just want you to tell me when something like this happens. You know I want to be there for you." I roll my eyes and make it a point for him to see it. If he had always wanted to be this supportive than maybe he shouldn't have gone away.

"You just left," I mumble, and he just shakes his head. I already know what he's going to say and I don't want to hear it. "You just up and left, and didn't even tell me where you were going."

"You know I have to travel to business meetings once a month…"

"That doesn't mean you can just leave without telling me. We may be divorced, but that doesn't matter," I say, taking a deep breath. "I could have gone into labor and you would have missed it." I try to hide my frown, but he catches it. He reaches over and runs his thumb along my bottom lip, and I cringe at the contact.

"You frown too much, love." I shove his hand away.

"Would you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop…stop acting like everything is fine…" I hate that he does this to me. He gets me all fired up for a fight but in the end he makes me melt like puddy in his hands. And I hate him for it. "We're not fine…"

"Katniss…" I look to the side, away from him. I just can't look at him right now. "You wanted this."

"I know, Gale!" I'm still not looking at him, but when I finally do, tears are finally pricking at the corners of my eyes. "How are we supposed to do this?" I finally crack, heaving my chest and crying into my hands.

"How are we supposed to do this…"

"Katniss, it'll work, it will." I look up at him through bleary eyes and I can't believe how much I've already let my guard down. "We can make it work," he finally says.

"How? I can't even look at you without hating you," I finally admit, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. The darkness is comforting, but if only temporary. I finally look at him, and the look on his face makes my heart shatter.

"Don't say that," he demands. He reaches out to take my hand but I yank it away forcefully.

"Why not? I fucking hate you!" I'm screaming louder than I should. My voice cracks and I see that I've struck a nerve in him. "I really f-fucking hate you."

He crawls closer to me and pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around my middle, around my now very large belly. He just holds me, letting me cry into him, ruining his work shirt. I'm shaking, and no amount of comfort can bring it to a stop.

"I know," he whispers. "I know."

* * *

"It's fine Prim. I'm fine." I finally get her to stop pacing the room, and she comes and sits in front of me on my bed, running her hands through her messy curls for the umpteenth time this afternoon.

"I know, but Katniss, it's really too early for you to be on bed rest like this." I sigh and run my hands along my belly.

"It's really not that early, Prim. I'm a little over eight months."

"I know, I know. It just feels funny, I don't know."

"You need to learn to relax. I'm sure everything is fine." She sighs, and I smile, knowing that she's done trying to argue with me. She finally looks at me, a wide smile playing on her face.

"So…Peeta Mellark?"

"Oh shut up." I knew this was coming.

"Come on Katniss, you have to tell me everything. Come on, spill." I roll my eyes because I can't deny her anything.

"There's nothing to tell, really…" I lie, looking down at the bed.

"Don't lie to me, I know that look," she grins.

"What look?"

"The "I can't stop smiling because I'm in love" look." My eyes widen at that. _Love_? I'm not in love.

"Prim…" I start causiously. "It's not that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I'm about to have this baby, and Gale is going to be staying here for a few weeks while I settle into a routine. And I don't know how well it will work out if I'm having another man other than him inside our…_my_ home." She nods her head and understanding, grabbing both of my hands in her own, smaller ones.

"I can help you, you know. Gale doesn't always have to be here."

"No, Prim. You just got a new job, and I couldn't keep Gale away even if I wanted to. It's in our agreement that he stay with me for three weeks after the baby is born, and then move back out," I say, squeezing her hands. "And after that, he is allowed come visit her whenever he wants, as long as he calls me and I give him the okay."

It's quiet for awhile before she finally says anything.

"I still can't believe you're having a baby," she whispers and I nod. I never imagined in a million years that I would ever have children.

"I know…" I stare down at my belly, and jump when I feel a hard kick to my ribcage. Prim notices the grimace on my face, and I take her hand and push it around the top where her feet are.

"Here…she should kick in just a few seconds." Her eyes widen when she kicks again, this time harder, and it makes me bite my lip. Prim smiles, but doesn't move her hand away.

"She's already head down?"

"Yeah, seems like it. She's been like that for a couple of weeks now, been kicking the shit out of me." I laugh, but it just hurts, so I have to stop myself. Also, I may pee.

"I can't wait to meet her," Prims voice is gentle, and it makes me relax. "I bet she'll look like you."

"I don't know, maybe. Gale and I kind of have similar looks, so you never know." I smile and think about what she may look like. Will she have my eyes? What about my hair? Oh I hope she has hair that's easier to tame-

"Katniss?" I'm pulled out of my daze and notice Prim snapping her fingers in front of me. I look down and notice my phone bussing, Peeta's face appearing on the screen. I quickly slide my thumb across the screen and accept the call.

"Hey, just thought I would let you know that I'm on my way over with Avery. He's been so antsy to see you and I couldn't say no. I hope that's okay." I hear Avery saying something in the background, and smile. "Sorry for the late notice, but I just picked him up from a friends house and thought I would stop by. I'm bringing dinner, by the way, so I hope you're hungry."

I cover the speaker and mouth to Prim "he's coming over." She gives me a thumbs up and jumps up from the bed. I crease my eyebrows and shake my head for her not to leave yet.

"Yeah that's perfect, thank you. I have someone I want you to meet too."

"Great! I'll be over in ten." And with that, he hangs up, and I sigh, smiling up at the ceiling. I slowly swing my legs over the side of the bed and hold my hand out for Prim to help me stand.

"Peeta's coming over with dinner. He's bringing Avery too, I want you to meet him." She helps me stand and I waddle, literally waddle, over to my dresser to put some decent clothes on. I throw on a pair of jeans and a just big enough sweater, and meet Prim downstairs in the kitchen just as the doorbell rings.

I walk over and swing open the door, smiling as I see Avery's smiling face pressed against the glass. I open that door as well, letting him in, the late April air flowing through.

"Katniss!" he yells, throwing his arms around my leg. I would bend down and hug him, but I am way too pregnant to pull that off by myself, so I opt to just patting his head.

"Hey," I say, smiling down at him. "Where's your daddy?"

"He's in the car getting dinner," I look through the door and notice Peeta struggling to carry the food. I give Prim a look and she walks past me, offering to help him carry everything in.

I walk Avery to the kitchen and pull out a chair. He climbs into it and I sit across from him.

"So, what did you do today?" I ask.

"I went to my friends house! We played basketball and I won, so Finn had to pour a bucket of cold water on his head!" He explains it all so fast he doesn't stop until he has to take a breath.

"Wow! You must be really good at basketball," I smile, but before he responds, Peeta and Prim make their way into the kitchen carrying dinner.

"I see you met Prim?" I say to him, accepting his kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, she's really nice, and super charming," he flashes his pearly white teeth at Prim, and I know he's got her won over. She blushes and turns away from him, laying all of the food out on the counter.

"So, what do you have planned for dinner tonight?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, if you must know, I made my famous Cheese biscuits with my grilled shrimp and lettuce wraps." My mouth starts to water as soon as the words come out of his mouth.

"You're pretty amazing, you know that?"

"I do what I can," he smirks, and dips his head to peck me on the lips. My stomach swoops, or maybe that was the baby. I jerk slightly as I feel a kick to my ribs. Peeta's eyebrows raise, and I wave him off.

"It's nothing," I say.

"Are you sure?" His voice is full of concern, and I look across the table at Avery, and see his face contort in confusion. I don't really want to scare a five year old, so I hold out my hand and Peeta helps me stand.

"Prim?" I say. "Living room," I try to tell her with my eyes, and she nods, following behind me. Once we're in the living room and out of the kitchen, I grab the banister of the stairs for balance.

"I need you to keep Avery distracted, okay?"

"What? Why?"

Because I-" I'm thrown off by a sudden wave of nausea and a sinking feeling in my stomach. I've been having minor contractions on and off all day. But it takes me a few seconds to regain my composure, and when I open my eyes, Peeta is suddenly by my side.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" He asks.

"No, no. Not ye-" I'm still in denial, and not at all ready for this. Another sinking feeling, and I feel liquid running down my leg. My eyes widen suddenly, and my head shoots straight up, looking Prim dead in the eyes.

"Prim-" I say, my voice cracking. "I think it's time."

* * *

**You guys, IT'S HAPPENING!**

**Sorry this is such a short chapter, I'm just really excited to write this next chapter, you have no idea. And to make up for this one being so short, the next chapter is going to be extra long. At least 5k words, you can count on that.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Can someone please get Gale on the phone?" I ask, adjusting myself in the hospital bed. It's been twelve hours since I've been in the hospital, and he's yet to make an appearance.

"Workin' on it," Prim whispers, stepping out of the doorway to allow Dr. Aurelius into the room. Peeta paces nervously at the foot of the bed, his hand scraping his jaw.

"He's not answering," she says.

"Then try again!"

"Okay, okay, just calm down alright?" I squeeze my eyes shut as another contraction passes through me. I grab the bed sheets and grasp them tightly between my fingers, holding on until my knuckles are white.

"Okay Mrs. Hawthorne, I'm going to check how dilated you are," Dr. Aurelius says, glancing towards Peeta's direction.

"I'll just be outside, okay?" Peeta whispers, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. Dr. Aurelius raises his eyebrows, obviously confused at the gesture between the two of us. But if he's curious, he doesn't say anything, and for that, I'm grateful.

"Okay Katniss, it looks like you're almost there, you're at eight centimeters." I groan, hitting my head against the pillows. "But you're progressing rather quickly, so it shouldn't be too much longer-"

"Yeah-yeah, no- yes she's with me," Prims voice brings me out of my miserable haze, and I lift my head, only to find her pacing beside the door. "No- yeah- Damnit Gale-" I take a deep breath, positive that he's just said he can't come. "Yes- Kindred Hospital…No…Yes ,the North Wing…I don't know, just ask when you get here, I have to go, bye." She hangs up and turns to face me, plastering what I know to be a fake smile across her face.

"He said he'll be here as soon as he can," she sighs, running a hand through her tousled curls. "He's really freaking out, I've never heard him so…anxious sounding, like he was about to jump out of his own skin," I laugh a little.

"I think we're all more than a little anxious. I mean, this is only the birth of his child," I laugh, running a hand along my stomach.

Dr. Aurelius stands, nodding his head towards me. "I'll be back soon to check up on you again," he says before walking out the door. Peeta sticks his head through the doorway moments later, grinning sheepishly.

"Is it safe to come in now?" And I smile, because this is all so ridiculous.

"Yes," I say, waving him in. "It's not like you've never seen a birth before," I laugh before realizing what I've just said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward."

"It's okay," he sighs, walking to stand next to me. "It's not quite the same," his face drops, and I know what he means. It would be a lot different if it were _our_ baby. "Anyways, I'm really happy for you-for the both of you."

"I'm so scared," I finally admit, and from the corner of my eye, I can see Prim quietly slipping out of the room. "What if something happens? Or, what if-"

"Nothing's going to happen, okay?" he assures me, lifting my chin up in the palm of his hand. "I'm going to be right here with you," I smile, and he kisses me. "But I have to eventually go check on Avery, I'm sure he's causing chaos right now at Finnick and Annie's." I frown at the thought of him having to leave.

"Don't worry, I'll be back, and I'll have Prim updating me the entire time, I promise. I just have to make sure he's okay before bed, and then I'll come back, okay?" he asks, running his thumb along my cheek. I nod my head, and he kisses me again, this time, sending child down my spine.

"I'm glad you're here," I whisper, holding onto his hand. "I don't know what I would do if you weren't."

"I'm glad I'm here, too. I'm really glad, Katniss. I-"

"He's here," Prim is suddenly back in the room, and Peeta backs away to stand beside me, still holding my hand. I watch the doorway nervously, and await Gales arrival.

Moments later, I can see him getting yelled at by a nurse for running, and soon, he's barreling through the door. His suit jacket is barely hanging on, and his hair is a mess, probably from running his hands through it so much. He's always had that bad habit.

"Did I miss anything?" he asks, almost out of breath. His breathing is heavy, and his chest heaves with every breath he takes. His eyes zero in on Peeta, and his posture goes immediately rigid once he sees him holding my hand. I just grip him tighter.

"Mellark," he mutters, nodding his head.

"Hawthorne," Peeta says back. I am internally screaming now, hoping and praying this all goes smoothly. But hope can only go so far before someone cracks.

"Katniss," Gale says, walking to the other side of the bed, smoothing down the hair at the top of my head. He leans down and kisses me on the forehead, and I'm sure he's keeping eye contact with Peeta the entire time. And with each gesture he gives me, it reminds Peeta a thousand times that this is his baby, and not Peeta's.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his thumb running along the side of my face. I push his hand away.

"Like I'm about to have a baby," I say, and I can both hear and feel Peeta chuckle beside me.

"Something funny?" Gale asks, and the tension in the room couldn't be any thicker.

"Yes, actually," he starts, letting go of my hand and crossing his arms against his chest. "You're late showing up, and you ask how she's feeling?" I cringe, knowing that there's now way this is going to end well. "I just-"

"Hey Peeta?" he's interrupted by Prim calling out for him from the doorway. "I'm going down to the cafeteria for a bit, you wanna come with me?" I couldn't be anymore grateful to Prim than I am at this moment right now.

"Uh yeah, sure," he says, looking down at me. "I'll uh, I'll be back." He leans down and kisses me, and I smile.

"Okay," I say, watching him leave the room. It isn't until I head Gale clear his throat that I realize that he's even there.

"You're really seeing him?" Gale asks, and I roll my eyes, turning my head to face his. My breath hitches in my throat at the proximity of his face to mine. I scoot back a few inches, putting some distance between us. But I'm getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute, and I grimace.

"I really can't talk about this right now, I-" I'm thrown off by another contraction, this one much stronger than any of the others. I actually cry out, and Gale stands then, his hands on either side of my face.

"What can I do?" he asks, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. I don't stop him this time. "Tell me what I can do." The pain gets significantly worse, and I can feel the tears finally welling up at the corners of my eyes, spilling onto my cheeks. Gale swipes them away with his thumbs, pressing his lips to my forehead and leaving them there.

"Gale-" whatever I planned to say gets swallowed by another contraction, and I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the tears to stop, but they don't. The contractions are getting closer and closer together, so I hit the nurse button on my remote.

"You can do this Katniss, I know you can," he whispers, smoothing my hair back again. "I love you so much, you can do this." I wince at that, and let the tears fall once more. This time, not from the pain, but from the emptiness I feel from his words.

* * *

"Okay Katniss, ok the count of three, you're going to push, okay?" I nod my head and squeeze Gales hand, turning it white. I don't care.

"One, two, three," I lean forward and feel the worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life. Turns out, the epidural sometimes doesn't work, and at this point, I can feel everything.

"Good Katniss, you're crowning, you're about to pass the head," I take a deep breath and prepare myself. Everything comes rushing back to me all at once, and I suddenly remember why I'm even in this situation.

"I fucking hate you, you know that?" I practically scream at Gale, and he actually laughs.

"It'll pass, Katniss, it'll pass," I glare at him, but we're interrupted by Dr. Aurelius' voice.

"Alright, one big push now, okay? This is the worse of it," I nod my head furiously and hold onto the sheets for dear life.

I'm pushing, and screaming, and pushing, and screaming. And suddenly, a piercing cry breaks through the haze that has been forming in my head.

I sigh, letting out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I look down to see Dr. Aurelius cutting the umbilical cord from my- our daughter. And the next thing I know, he's placing her in my trembling arms.

And that day, April 12th, Maria Jane Hawthorne was welcomed into this world.

"She's so beautiful," I hear Gale whisper beside me. And I nod, because, she really is. She's perfect, and tiny, and the most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on.

* * *

Hours pass, and after I've been given the chance to rest, and feed, the nurse let's Gale and I know that we have visitors.

We both look up from Maria, and find Peeta and Prim practically running into the room. The look on Prims face makes my heart melt, and, when she slowly walks over to me, I can catch the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh Katniss…" she starts, leaning down beside me, lightly tracing Maria's face with the back of her forefinger. "She's so beautiful…" she's at a loss for words, and I watch her choke back her tears. "I'm so happy for you," she hugs me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck.

I look up then, and notice that Peeta has stayed back, closer to the door. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he looks like he's just quietly observing, but I know better. His posture is slack, and his face is sullen, sad. He doesn't meet my gaze, just stands there, looking down at Maria, and then back at Gale. Back and forth.

"Can I hold her?" Prim asks, holding her hands out.

"Yeah," I say, slowly easing her into Prims arms. "Just cradle her head like this," I say, bending her elbow a little more.

"I know, Katniss, I work in the Maternity ward, remember?" she laughs, and Maria stirs in her arms, he tiny mouth opening wide in a yawn. Her eyes open then, deep grey, almost black, eyes stare up at Prim.

"She looks just like you," she whispers, looking between Gale and I.

"She has Gale's nose," I say, pointing at Gales face and then pointing at Maria's. "Mine is more flat, and his is more curved in the middle." I look up to watch Peeta shift on his feet. He's clearly uncomfortable with this whole situation, and my heart aches for him.

"You want to hold her?" I ask, and his eyes finally meet mine, turning soft once they do. His jaw clenches, before walking towards us.

Prim passes her to him, and he takes her into his arms. Maria looks up at him, and her hand reaches up and slightly and wraps around his finger. His face lights up, but only for a second, before it turns back into a frown. He starts to shift on his feet before finally holding out his arms.

"I should really go," he says, placing her back in my arms. "I'm sorry." The look in his eyes says he wants to say so much more, but he just can't.

"You really don't have to go, Peeta," I say, pleading with him.

"I'm sorry, but I shouldn't be here." I know what he really means, he just can't say it right now. And I can't blame him.

Peeta and I are together, but he's having to watch Gale and I like this, with our newborn daughter, and knowing that he's going to be living with me for three weeks. It's not something that's easy for him to understand, and I couldn't ask him to. I can only hope he can have patience with me, and understand that I don't want to do this, but we have to do this. I can't start this off alone. And I hate to admit it, but I need Gale. I do, and as much as it hurts Peeta, I can't help that I need him. He's the father, and he needs to be there, he has the right.

"I'll call you, okay?" he whispers, kissing me on the forehead. He runs his thumb along the side of Mariah's face gently, giving her a little peck on the forehead as well. "She really is beautiful."

"Thank you," I smile.

"Congratulations," he gives me a sad smile, and nods to Gale before turning and leaving. The silence that follows is so think that I feel as if I may actually be suffocating.

* * *

"You ready to go?" Gale asks, packing the last of my things into the diaper bag.

"Yeah, just give me a second." I send the last text to Peeta, letting him know that I'm finally being released from the hospital, and that I'll call him when I get home.

He doesn't reply.

When we pull into the driveway, I have to take a deep breathe, because this doesn't feel real. This is all I ever wanted in life. A home, a husband, a baby. It's just like I imagined it would be, except not. This is my house, but it feels empty to me, having been by myself the last five months. And Gales not even my husband anymore, just the father of my child.

This just isn't how I imagined my life, and I have to stop myself from crying, because it's just all so much to take in. And it's been so long since Gale and I have been in this house together, it's a lot to process all at once.

Gale walks around to my door and opens it for me, helping me step out. I give him a grateful smile, but don't let his touch linger longer than it has to. I go to open the back door, but he stops me.

"I got it, you go inside," he says, opening the door and unbuckling the carseat.

"No, I can do it," I argue, reaching for the seat. But he grabs my hand and pulls it away gently.

"I said I can do it okay? I won't be here very long, at least let me help while I'm allowed to be here." The was he says it all makes me feel sad, and empty, like I'm keeping him from being here.

"You're allowed to be here anytime, you're just not allowed to live here for more than three weeks. We've been over this…" I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Just let me do this, an you go rest. She'll wake up soon, I want you to sleep until then." I don't argue, knowing full well that I'm about to go through hell with no sleep.

"Okay," I mutter, walking into the house. But I leave the door propped open for him.

I climb the stairs and fall into my bed, curling into a ball and snuggling into the covers. I've just been through so much, it feels good just to be in my own bed.

I check my phone again. No new messages, and no missed calls. I try calling Peeta, but it goes straight to voicemail. I have a strange tugging feeling in my chest, like something isn't right. But I don't have much time to think about it before sleep consumes me…

"Katniss?" I shoot up in bed, sweat dripping down my face. I look around and notice it's dark outside. _What_ _the_ _hell?_

"Gale? How long have I been asleep?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

"About six hours."

"What?!"

"Don't worry. I fed Maria, changed her diaper, fed her again, and now she's sleeping." My mouth falls open and my eyes go wide.

"You did what?" I'm in complete and utter shock.

"You looked really tired, I just wanted you to be able to rest," he says, walking over and sitting next to me on the bed. "I know I shouldn't have given her formula, but you looked so peaceful-"

"It's fine, as long as it's not all the time. I don't want her drinking that stuff, it's disgusting," I say, yawning and stretching my arms out above my head. He moves to sit closer to me, and I can feel his warmth radiating off of his body.

There's a thick silence in the room, and I turn to face him on the bed, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, putting my head between my legs.

"What?" He asks, lifting my chin, making me look at him.

"I just don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you away, because I'm not."

"Katniss-"

"No, just let me say this, please…" I say, taking a deep breath. "I need you to know that I care about you, that I'll always care about you. And I love you, but I love you as Maria's father, and nothing more." I stop to take another breath, thinking about how to best say this. "And I just don't want to lose you."

"Katniss, what? Lose me? Why would you lose me?" He asks, taking my hand in his and running his thumb along my knuckles.

"I know you'll only be here for a few weeks before you have to leave again, and I just don't want you to think that I never want you around. Because I do, and it would kill me if you didn't come and see me- I mean us, at least once a day." It al comes out so fast, that I want to shove it all back in. I'm not supposed to be feeling like this. I'm not supposed to want him to be around.

"I promise, I'm going to be around. But Katniss, we've moved on. We have separate lives now. And…As much as I would love to come home, I just think it would be best that after a while, we-" he stops talking, looking me in the eyes. I know it's because I'm crying that he stopped, because I must look a mess.

"Please don't cry, I hate seeing you cry." He says, wiping my tears with his thumbs. He holds my face in his hands, and kisses my forehead, smoothing down my hair. "Come here," he holds his arms open, and I fall into them, clutching his shirt for dear life.

I never thought this would happen. I thought we would just go home, and go our separate ways. I thought we would live together for three weeks and then everything would be back to normal.

But as it turns out, having a baby with someone really does change your relationship, whether you like it or not. And even as my thoughts every now and then drift to Peeta, I can't help but let Gale hold me tightly, in what used to be our bed, and clutch his shirt in my hands.

And I cry, I cry for so long that my face feels raw. It isn't until I feel his steady heartbeat beneath my ear that I begin to drift off myself, in his arms, where it's warm. Where it's safe.


	10. Chapter 10

_Wow you guys, what a roller coaster of a story this has been so far._

_I know a lot of you are a little upset that Gale and Katniss are so close, and together right now, but you really have nothing to worry about. Like I've stated previously, this is obviously going to be an Everlark endgame story, I just need to establish a storyline, and adjust a few things. It's not easy to transition from being with someone for so long, and having a baby with them, to dating and being with someone else. So please, let me write my story then way I need to. Katniss and Peeta's relationship will take off soon enough, but you have to understand that Katniss and Gale have some unfinished business._

_I love you all and all the support that you have provided me throughout this story, and I couldn't be any more grateful than I am right now. I hope you all stick with me through thick and thin with this story, and stay until the end._

_Enjoy the chapter, lovelies._

* * *

And ear piercing cry is what eventually wakes me out of my slumber.

The first thing that registers clearly in my mind is where I am. It's coming to the end of the three week period with Gale staying here, and it hurts me more than anything to know that that in a few days, I'm going to be waking up without him. I can't imagine what it's going to be like without him here with me.

He's been such an amazing help over the last three weeks, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself once he leaves. And I know I shouldn't be feeling this way, but I am, and I can't change the way that I feel.

I would say that I want him gone, out of my house, and out of my life, but I just can't. I don't know what happened to me, but something has been keeping me from letting him go.

He wanted to stay in the guest bedroom during his time here, but I wouldn't let him. I even begged him to stay with me, because truth be told, I missed him. I missed the feeling of just being held and comforted, and Gale was here to give me that comfort that I've been craving all this time. It's all I've ever wanted from him, and once I finally got it, I didn't want to let that go.

It just felt right, being with him, and Maria. Everything just felt like normal, like it's what was meant to happen. But good things are usually short lived, and in just a few days, he has to leave again. And I now feel like I need to start to slowly distance myself from him, yet again.

I try to sit up, but Gale's arm is so tightly draped around me, I can't move. "Gale," I say loudly, shaking his shoulder. "Let go," his grip loosens just enough for me to slip out from under the covers and make my way out of the room. I take one last look at him, his sleeping, peaceful form, and walk out. I have to shake my head to clear my mind.

"Hey, mommy's here," I whisper, picking up Maria from her crib. "Don't cry," I hold her against my chest and bounce her slowly, patting her back. "You're just hungry."

After I feed and burp Maria, she falls right to sleep within minutes. I gently place her back into her crib, and back away, just watching her tiny chest rise and fall. It's all so new to me still, being a mother. It feels so strange, but it's filled with a sense of purpose, that I now have a reason to wake up everyday.

I take one last look at her before walking downstairs and into the kitchen. I'm not supposed to have much caffine, but I'm so exhausted, and one cup of coffee shouldn't be a problem.

I walk to the other side of the kitchen and begin pouring a cup, when I feel someone behind me wrap their arms around me. When I turn around, Gale's face is only inches from mine, and I back away quickly, hitting my back against the counter top.

"You scared me," I say, setting my cup down.

"Sorry, didn't mean to," he smiles and raises his arms above his head, yawning. "How long have you been awake?"

"About an hour."

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you were asleep. I figured you would want to sleep in, considered you stayed up late last night with Maria," I say, smoothing out my hair and tucking it behind my ears. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"How did you know I was up? I thought you were asleep?" He says, crossing his arms against his chest. "You wanted me to sleep in, even though you were awake the same amount of time as me?"

"I guess I didn't think about it that way," I say, shrugging my shoulders. "Why were you up so late anyways? She was asleep, you didn't have to be in there."

"Maybe I wanted to spend as much time with her as I can before I get kicked out of here," he's getting defensive now, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Do you think I'm kicking you out?"

"Well, I'm only allowed to stay here for a few more days before I have to leave again, so yeah."

"Gale, I'm not kicking you out," I sigh. "I don't even want you to leave-" I try to stop myself, I do. But he catches it, and I have to turn my head away.

"What did you just say?" He asks, stepping closer. He's right in front of me now, and I can practically feel the heat coming off of his body.

"I said I-"

"You don't want me to leave," he says, almost reading my mind. "That's why you won't tell me how you really feel." It's true, I don't want him to leave, but I know that he has to. He has a new life now.

"Katniss, you need to tell me how you feel," his voice is gentle, but stern. "This is important." I lower my head and stare at the ground. I don't want to tell him how I feel, because I don't want to admit it to myself that this is how I feel.

"I'm scared," I whisper, still keeping my eyes to the floor. "I don't want you to leave."

"I can stay," he says, lifting my chin. "I can stay, if that's what you want." My eyes begin to water, and I don't even try to stop the tears from falling. I let them fall, and pull my face out of his hands. "Really, I can stay."

"Y-you can't," I stutter, wriggling from his hold on me and moving to the other side of the kitchen. He reaches for me, but I pull away. He moves then, pulling me against him in a tight embrace. I bury my face in his shirt and begin to shake uncontrollable.

"I-I don't want you to leave," I manage to say in between sobs. "You can't leave me!" My voice comes out in screams, muffled against his t-shirt. He pulls me face back to look at him, holding my face in both his hands.

"Katniss I'm not leaving you," he says, wiping the tears from my cheeks. "I would never do that."

"But you're going home, you're leaving me here," I say softly, gripping his shirt in my fists, as if he's just going to disappear from my grasp. "I can't do this by myself!"

"Katniss, you need to calm down. You need to breath, okay?" he says slowly, nodding his head with me. "Yeah? Good…" He walks us over to the table and sits me down beside him, pulling my chair as close as it can get to his. "Now, talk to me. Why are you suddenly wanting me to stay?"

"I just feel so alone, and empty. I need someone, Gale. I need you," I can't believe what I'm saying. Just before giving birth, I wanted almost nothing to do with him. And now I'm practically begging him to say. "I just feel so alone…"

"You're not alone, you know that. And I'm not leaving forever, Katniss, I'm going to come back," he reassures me, rubbing my back slowly. I try to focus on my breathing, to calm myself down. "I'm always going to come back. I don't think I could stay away from either you or Maria. You're both my life now." His words surprise me, and I look up at him.

"You promise that you'll come back? You won't just leave for three months again without telling me?" He clenches his jaw, and I can see that he's thinking.

"Katniss…"

"Just save it, nevermid," I say, gritting my teeth. I can't believe for one second that I thought he was going to be any different once he left.

"It's my job, Katniss, I have to go on those trips, you know that." I pull myself out of his grasp and stand from my chair, walking out of the room. But before I can make it to the stairs, his hand wraps around my arm, pulling me to a stop.

"Don't walk away from me, Katniss," he says, turning me around to face him. "Stop walking away from me."

"Walking away from you? _I'm_ walking away from _you_? You're leaving again! I knew you were going to do that!" I'm screaming now, not even aware that raising my voice could wake up Maria.

"I'm not leaving, Katniss! I told you I'm not going anywhere, at least not for a long time," he says, pulling me to him. I wrap my arms around his back and hold him so tight that I think I may be hurting him. But he doesn't say anything about it.

"I just can't be alone again. You can't leave me, you can't!"

"Katniss, what has gotten into you? I'm not leaving you here alone?" He says it as a question, and pulls me away from him to look at me. "You really think I would just get up and leave you two after all of this?"

"Yes- I don't know? Maybe," I admit, resting my forehead against his chest.

"I'm not leaving for another month, Okay? And even then, I'm only going to be gone for three weeks. Okay?" I nod my head against him, closing my eyes. "I don't know why you're so upset."

"Maybe I just don't want my husband to leave right after the birth of his daughter," I say into his shirt. I feel him lightly laugh, and raise my head to look at him. "What?"

"You said husband." My eyes widen in mortification, realizing what I had just said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It's okay, it doesn't matter," he says, letting go of me and backing away. "I'm gonna go shower, are you gonna be okay?" he asks, reaching out and pinching my cheek. I nod my head yes, and watch him walk away and up the stairs.

* * *

It's been three weeks. Three weeks since I've heard anything from Peeta. And I've felt reluctant to contact him at all, given the circumstances lately. But I feel so tired of having this anxious bubble in my stomach at the thought of not seeing him again, that I keep trying to call. But he never answers, until now.

"Hello?" A gruff voice answers.

"Peeta?"

"Katniss?"

"Yeah, it's me." I say, clutching the phone in my hands tightly. We haven't spoken since he left the hospital the day of Maria's birth.

"Oh, hey," he says, clearing his throat. "I was going to call you."

"Were you?" I ask a little too defensively. "Because it's been three weeks and I haven't heard a single word from you."

"I'm sorry, but I really don't want to talk about this over the phone. Can I just come over?" He asks, and I'm speechless. One second he hasn't said a word to me, and the next he's asking to come over?

"I-I guess, yeah. But not until after twelve."

"Okay." And he hangs up, conversation over.

I honestly don't even know how to feel at this point towards Peeta. He's been so hot and cold recently, that I don't know how to deal with it. I don't know what he wants from me. I can't help that I have a baby with Gale. And quite frankly, it shouldn't matter. Because we met while I was pregnant, and he knew what he was getting himself into from that moment forward. And now, it just feels like he's running.

"Katniss?" I turn around and find Gale standing in the doorway. "I'm leaving, I just wanted to let you know." A sinking feeling forms in my stomach, and I have to keep myself from getting visibly upset.

"Don't be upset, I'll be back in two months." I run over to him and throw my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life.

"Come back here as soon as you get back, okay?" I say quietly, my voice muffled by his neck. "You have to come back here. Not your house, not anywhere else, but here." He squeezes me one last time before letting go of me. I take a few steps back and cross my arms over my chest.

"Maria will miss you." _I'll_ _miss_ _you_. Is what I want to say.

"She won't even know I'm gone." He says, smiling at me.

"She'll be three months old by the time you come back." I say with a sad smile. I inhale deeply, shifting on my feet, willing myself not to break down right here in front of him.

"Hey, it'll be okay, you'll be okay, I promise," he says. I inhale again, this time, choking on my own breath. "Hey, don't cry," he says, pulling me into a hug. "Don't cry." I hold onto him again, because deep down inside, I really don't want him to leave.

"I really have to go okay?" He pulls away and I follow him to the front door. He gives me one last hug before pushing through the door and climbing into his car. I watch him pull out of the driveway and drive away.

I must stand there staring out the door for minutes before I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. It's Peeta.

The text reads: _I'm_ _on_ _my_ _way_. _Be there in 20._

I decide that that's enough time to shower, so I do. And since Maria is asleep, I leave her in her crib.

I make the shower fast, leaving just enough time for me to comb out my hair before there's knocking at the door. I throw on a pair of leggings and a baggy t-shirt before walking into the nursery and picking up Maria's sleeping form. I hold her against me, her cheek pressed against my shoulder. I can feel her tiny huffs of breath as I walk down the stairs to open the door.

When I open it with one hand, Peeta is standing there, little to no expression on his face.

"Hey," he says, his eyes glancing down at Maria. "I think we need to talk."

* * *

**_The response to the last chapter was incredibly overwhelming. I didn't realize so many of you loved it so much. So thank you for your kind messages and reviews._**

**_Okay, so, I hope you all don't hate me because of all of this Galeniss stuff. Just know that it's completely necessary to the central plot of this story. It's really important that you all don't get discouraged, because in a matter of no time, Everlark will be finning these chapters more and more and more. _**

**_The reason this chapter is a little shorter is because it's been uploaded the day after the last update, so I figured it would okay to cut it a little short._**

**_Anyways, I hope you guys like it, and please leave reviews, they help me get ideas as to what to do next with this story._**

**_Thanks!_**


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey guys! So, I'm crossing my fingers that this chapter doesn't send a lot of you running, because I know it's not going to be something that you like. But like I said, just stick with it, and bear with me while I get through a little bit of a rough patch in this story._

_Also, you guys need to realize that this is my story, and you need to let me do what I need to do with it to get it on the right track. Just trust me on this, I know what I'm doing, so just let me write, and it will all be fine in the end. Life isn't perfect, and sometimes things happen that throw you for a ride, and you have to get back on track. And right now, things are about to throw you for a wild ride, so just bear with me._

_*strongly embraces the probability of upcoming hate*_

* * *

"I think we need to talk," he says, stepping around me into the house. I close the door with my foot, and shift Maria in my arms so that I'm cradling her now sleeping form.

"Okay, then talk," I say, sitting down on the couch. He doesn't make any move to sit next to me, instead, stands close to the door with his arms crossed against his chest.

"I'm not going to stay long, I just need to talk to you," he says, and I nod my head. "I just needed you to know that for right now, I think it would be best if we didn't see each other." My chest clutches, but I don't say anything. "I just don't think this is a good time."

"You couldn't just tell me this over the phone?" I ask, clearly annoyed. I shift Maria in my arms again, and stand from the couch. "I'll be back, I'm going to put her in her crib." I say, walking up the steps and away from him.

When I return, he's sitting on the couch, head in hands. I clear my throat and he looks up at me, running his hands through his already discheveled hair. I go and sit next to him, putting a fair amount of distance between us. But I can still feel the heat coming from his body.

"You were saying?" I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Right…" he starts, turning to face me, looking me in the eyes. "I just need you to understand a few things, a few things from my perspective," he stops then, and goes to grab my hands, but I pull them away, looking at the ground. "Look, I'm not trying to cause any trouble for you, I just want you to understand-"

"Understand, Peeta? What, you don't want me? Is that it?"

"No, no. That's not it at all. I just think that until the time is right, I don't think we should be seeing each other," he stand, standing from the couch then. "It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to me to be here, knowing that you're still so involved with Gale. And it's not a jealousy thing, it's me wanting you to get your feelings sorted out for yourself. I know this is hard for you, and I just want to give you time."

"Peeta-"

"I need to know that you're ready to have a relationship with me, and right now, that's just not the case," he finishes, walking over to the door. "I'm sorry, I just think we both need time."

I try to stop him, I do, but I can't bring myself to try hard enough. Maybe it's just today, or just the way things are right now, but I don't feel any kind of sadness when he leaves. The only thing I feel is empty, empty that both him and Gale are both gone, and I'm alone in this big house with only Maria to fill the void.

Maybe it's good that he's gone. Maybe this is how it's really supposed to be. I was a fool to think that I would be able to have any kind of relationship with anyone else other than Gale. A stupid, stupid fool.

I run up to my room and throw myself onto the bed, burying myself as deep as I can into the blankets. I bury my face into the sheets, relishing in the way that they still smell of Gale.

_Gale_, I think. He's only been gone for a few hours and my chest hurts at the thought of him. I miss him so much. I have to remind myself that maybe this is better, better for the both of us. Maybe we _should_ be together, maybe it was just meant to be.

Cries break me out of my daze, and I have to force myself to drag myself out of the bed and into the nursery. Maria's wails of sadness make me want to cry as well, but I know I have to suck it up, and be strong.

"What? What do you want?" I ask her desperately, after many failed attempts at calming her down. I feel like screaming and crying, I just can't take it. She continues to cry, big fat tears.

She's not hungry, and she's not tired, and I just don't know what to do. I walk around with her, bouncing her, doing just about anything to get her to stop, but the crying won't let up.

It's like she's trying to drown me in her tears, and that's what I feel like will probably happen.

But, hours later, after many, many endless walks around the house, she finally starts to drift off to sleep. And I, as quietly as I can, set her in her crib, staring down at her for a few minutes. She really does look like me, but she has an undeniable sense of Gale.

I don't know why it hurts so much to think about him.

I go back to my room and curl into the sheets once again, picking up my phone from the bedside table. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it. I need to hear his voice. I need someone to tell me it's going to be okay.

After a few rings, he picks up with a gruff "hello?"

"Gale?" I inhale a deep, shaky breath, and try not to cry. But I fail miserably. It all comes out at once, thick, hot tears roll down my face and I can't help myself when I have to scream into my pillow.

"Hey, what's the matter?" he asks, but all I can do is stutter and cry. "You need to talk to me Katniss, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I-I just wish you were here," I say, coughing to try and clear my throat. I wipe my tears away with the heel of my hand. "I really miss you…"

"Katniss…" he takes a deep breath before continuing. "I miss you too. I'll only be gone for two months, it'll be okay…"

"It won't! I can't do it Gale, I can't do this by myself!" My screams get louder and louder, and I can't seem to control myself. I'm just so desperate, I need someone, anyone. And I can feel my throat becoming raw.

"I need you, I need you here. I can't do this!"

"Katniss, yes you can, you can do it, I know you can. You're so strong Kat, if anyone can do it, it's you." I can't do anything but shake my head and curl myself around a pillow.

I was on the verge of a breakdown, but I think I finally hit my breaking point tonight.

"I-I just need you here. P-Please come home. Please." I keep repeating that, over and over again, rocking myself back and forth. "Just please come home."

"You know I can't do that…" he says, and I completely lose it.

"You have to! You don't understand! You have to come back, I can't do it! I can't…" My cries eventually dies down after a few minutes, and I hear him let out a deep sigh. And after a few more moments of rigid silence, he finally speaks.

"I'll catch the next flight home tomorrow morning."

* * *

"Katniss?"

I wake up to the sound of my name echoing throughout the house. I sit up in bed and rub my eyes, looking at the clock. 8:03. It's only been two hours since I was last awake to feed Maria, and I crave sleep more than anything.

Until I realize who's yelling for me.

I kick back the blankets, throwing on my robe as fast as I can before running down the stairs and into the living room. I find Gale by the door, setting his bags down.

He doesn't even get the chance to take his jacket off before I run to him, jumping and throwing my arms around his neck. I feel him hesitate at first, but after a few seconds, he tentatively wraps his arms around my back.

I inhale deeply, taking in his scent that is so distinctively Gale. And suddenly, I'm crying. I know he can feel me shaking, because he pulls me away from him to look at me, his face full of concern.

"What's wrong?" he asks, wiping my cheeks with his thumbs. "Why are you crying?"

"I just…missed you is all." I'm not lying, I really did miss him. It's weird to say out loud, though, given the fact that not too long ago I couldn't wait to get rid of him. But none of that matters right now. What matters right now is that he's here now, he's here with me.

And it really gets me thinking; I really can't believe he's here right now. The Gale I knew nine months ago definitely would not have gotten on a plane and flown home the day after he left for a business trip.

May he's changing; maybe this is good. Maybe this is how it should be; me and him.

"No, that's not it. Something happened, and you need to tell me." I guess he knows me better than I thought.

"I just…had a really rough night…" I say, gripping his shirt in my hands. He walks us to the couch, and sits us down. He pulls me into his lap, and I bury my face into his neck.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asks, and I shake my head.

"I couldn't get Maria to calm down for hours, and I think I just panicked." I mumble against his neck. He runs his hands down my back, running his fingers through my tangled hair.

"It's okay, I'm here now," he says, rubbing my back. "I won't leave again, I promise."

"You promise?" I ask, and in that moment, I must seem like a sad, pathetic girl.

"Yeah, promise."

Although I don't know true those words are, I believe them, for now.

* * *

I wake up to an elbow to the neck.

"Sorry," Gale grumbles, sliding from behind me and off of the couch. "We fell asleep," he says, holding his hand out for me to take. I grab it, but my knees feel weak from being curled up for so many hours on the couch. So when I stumble, he grabs my arms to steady me, and scoops me up in his arms.

I don't protest, because I'm so incredibly tired I don't care.

When he lays me down on the bed, he climbs in beside me, taking me into his arms. I melt into him, and rest my head in the crook of his elbow.

I feel content, happy.

But that happiness is short lived, because as soon as I'm on the brink of sleep, Maria's cries echo throughout the house. I start to sit up, but Gale gently pushes me back down.

"I got it," he sighs, untangling himself from me. I have to rub my eyes to make sure I'm actually awake.

"She's probably hungry, I should go," I say, pushing myself to sit.

"I can give her a bottle, you go back to sleep. You've been up with her all day," and when he gets up and walks out of the room, I have to stop and ask myself if this is real. And suddenly, I'm feeling an all too familiar feeling that I haven't felt towards him in a long, long time.

Love.

And not just for the love of Maria's father, but the love I once felt for him all those years ago. A love so true and pure it makes my heart skip a beat.

I reach over and slide open my bedside drawer, and sure enough, there it is, resting against the back of the drawer, collecting dust.

The picture of out first date that I took out of one of his photo boxes not even four months ago, and my wedding ring. I take them both out, setting them in my lap.

I raise the ring to my lips and play with it in my fingers, while looking at the picture in my hands. Barely fifteen years old, and we already looked so much in love. It's been more than ten years since I've felt that familiar feeling swirling inside of me, and I almost can't believe I'm feeling it again now.

I grip the photo tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Katniss?" My head shoots straight up to find Gale standing in the doorway, his body leaning against the doorframe. I ball up the ring in my fist, and pray that he didn't see it. But he'll see the picture.

"What are you doing?"

"Um, nothing," I say, dropping the photo into my lap. "Just…looking at this," I lift up the picture, and he walks over to me, crawling into bed and sitting next to me. He takes the picture in his hands and stares down at it.

"Why do you have this?" he asks, holding it out to me.

"I-I found it in one of your boxes, when I was moving your stuff out," I say, taking the picture back into my own hands.

"And you kept it?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at me when I shake my head yes. "Why?"

"I don't know, I just thought it was something I should keep…" I don't know what else to tell him, because honestly, that's the truth. It was our first picture together, on our very first date. "It's a really important picture."

"And what's in your hand?" he asks, grabbing for my hand, but I pull it away quickly, pulling it into my chest.

"Nothing," I lie.

"Katniss, what's in your hand?" He grabs my hand and undoes my fist, staring down at what's in between my fingers.

My wedding ring.

"Katniss…" he starts, taking it in his hand and worrying it between his fingers. "You still have this?"

"Why wouldn't I?" I ask, taking it back from him.

"I don't know, I just figured…you wanted me gone so badly, that maybe you got rid of it." I look up to meet his gaze, but quickly look back down at the ring in my hand.

"I don't think I could have gotten rid of this," I whisper, balling it up in my fist, holding onto it like it's my life.

"I love you." His words make me do a double take. "I love you, I really do, I really love you, Katniss." I close my eyes and try to focus. Should I? Is it a good idea? Is it too soon?

"I love you too," I say, almost choking on my words. It's been so long since I've said them to him, and they almost sound foreign coming from my lips. His face lights up, and almost immediately I'm being taken into his arms.

His lips meet mine almost instantly, and I begin remembering everything about him. I feel like he's just poured his entire heart and soul out to me, and I can't deny him. Because I feel as though, yes, I really do love him.

"Thank you," he says between kisses. "Thank you for loving me."

* * *

_Mehhh, please don't hate me. I know you guys are like what the fuck just happened, and believe me, I'm asking myself the same question. But never to fear, it's all a part of the plan, just bear with me._

_REVIEWS ARE SO GREATLY APPRECIATED. _

_Tell me anything you want to, tell me you loved it, or you hated it, or whatever you want. It gives me the courage to keep writing when I hear what you guys want to see._

_And am I doing this whole thing right? I feel like this part of their relationship is so important right now, I just have to have them together at this point in time._


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys!

Woah, what a night. It's definitely been quite the emotional roller coaster for me these last few weeks, so if you could all be respectful (those of you who are still here), and refrain from attacking me anymore, that would be great.

Obviously, this is a new chapter, and yes, I deleted the previous chapter (12), and have re-written it. This is by far one of my favorite chapters, it really starts to test both Katniss and Gale's patience. So enjoy.

* * *

It's been 3 months since I had Maria, and 3 months since I've been back with Gale.

We've seemed to fall into a simple routine, managing to get through these first few months together without any issues. We've even discussed getting remarried.

But I don't think I'm ready yet.

It's not that I don't want it, it's that I'm unsure of myself. I don't want to make another commitment to him unless I'm sure he's one hundred percent committed to this.

And I'm just not sure he is.

It's not that he's any different, really, but he has been slowly, slowly distancing himself from me.

He's been pending more and more time at work, working longer hours. It's beginning to feel like it used to, before I got pregnant. And I don't like it.

Sometimes he won't even sleep with me, he will sleep on the couch, or in the guest bedroom, if he comes home really late from work. I'll even go some days without seeing him completely, giving that he will leave early in the morning before I'm awake, and won't be back home until after midnight.

He thinks I don't notice.

I do.

And when I walk into his study late one night, I see him, head in hands, hovering over a stack of papers.

I walk over to him slowly, and slide my hands around his torso from behind, hugging him to me. He immediately tenses up, but relaxes moments later.

"Gale?" I ask gently, walking to stand in front of him, leaning against the desk. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I'm just really stressed..." He says, rubbing his face.

"What can I do?" I ask, reaching out and running my fingers through his hair. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," he says, pulling me to sit in his lap, nuzzling my neck. "I feel better already." I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head against his shoulder, relishing in his warmth. He squeezes me tighter to him, lightly trailing his lips down my neck, sighing into me.

"I missed you," he whispers, turning me around in his lap to face him.

This is the most he's touched me in weeks.

"You haven't been home..." I say, my gaze dropping down to his lips. I graze my thumb across his eyebrow, letting my hand rest on his face while I bend down and capture his lips in mine. Our mouths mold together, and he sighs against me. His hands move to my face, holding me in place.

He pulls away, still holding me. "You look tired, maybe you should go to bed," he says, rubbing his thumb across my cheek.

"Will you come with me?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes," he helps me stand, pulling me against him and placing a soft kiss to my cheek. "Go to bed."

On my way, I peek my head into the nursery, making sure Maria's still asleep. And I smile when I find that she is. Thankfully, I've been able to get her on a schedule, and I've been able to sleep through the whole night for the first time in a long time.

I reach my hand into her crib, smoothing down the dark patch of downy hair matted to her sweaty forehead. I lean in, placing a gentle kiss to her cheek.

Once I'm back in the bedroom, I strip down and throw on an oversized t-shirt, crawling into bed. And before I know it, I'm drifting off.

When I wake up, I notice two things. It's pitch black, and Gale's still not in be. I roll over, glancing at the clock, which flashes 2:21. I kick back the covers, slides my legs off the side of the bed, and throwing on my robe.

As I walk into the living room, I notice him passed out on the couch, an arm slung lazily over his face. I go and kneel down next to him, pushing aside his arm and giving him a gentle shake.

"Gale," I whisper, shaking a little harder. "Gale wake up."

"Huh?" His eyes open slowly, dilating as they come to focus on my face. "Oh."

"Hey, come to bed," I smile softly, running my fingers through his mussed up hair. He always looks so content when he's asleep, and when he's just woken up. "Come on."

"Okay…" he responds groggily, standing up on wobbly legs. We both stumble through the darkness, giggling when he almost trips over his own feet.

But once he crawls into bed, he shuts off, laying to face away from me.

I scoot up to him, pressing the front of my body against his back. "Hey," I say gently, resting my forehead against his shoulder. "I know something's bothering you."

"It's nothing," he responds flatly.

"I'm not an idiot, Gale."

"I said it's nothing."

I push myself up onto my elbows, and turn him to face me.

"It has to be something," I say, tracing the lines on his shirt with my fingertips. "Don't shut me out. You always tell me not to shut you out."

"I really don't think it's a good idea to talk about it right now," he mutters.

A long moment of silence passes over us before he speaks again.

"I don't want you to be upset-" He pauses, and a thousand possibilities of what he's thinking flash through my mind. _Oh_ _no_, I think. He's having an affair, or, or-

"-I got promoted." He sighs, pulling me to rest against him. His arm wraps around my middle, and his head falls to rest between my neck and shoulder. I turn around in his arms, facing him.

"I don't understand, this is a bad thing?" I ask, gripping his shirt in my hands.

"It's not here," he says, and my heart stops.

"What do you mean it's not here?" I ask, and he doesn't say anything, but shuts his eyes, clenching his jaw.

"Where is it, Gale?" I ask again, my voice cracking on his name. "Where is it?" I ask more desperately.

He pulls my tightly against him, hiding his face in my neck, before mumbling something that I pray I heard wrong.

"What?" I pull him to look at me, holding his face in my hands. "What did you say?"

"New York."

_Oh_.

It takes me a few seconds to process what he's just said. I squeeze my eyes shut, dropping my head to his chest, taking a deep breath that I end up choking on. His arms tighten around me and I finally allow myself to cry into his shirt.

"Are you going?" I ask, desperately clinging to him. "Are you leaving?"

"Katniss, I don't know, I only just found out a few weeks ago, I-"

"You've knows for weeks now, and you didn't say anything to me?!" I cry, pulling away from him. I back up to the other side of the bed, curling my knees up to my chest, heaving in a deep breath.

I don't believe it.

_So this is why he's been so distant._

"H-H-How could you not tell me about this?" I ask, hitting my head against my knees. "How could you just leave?!" I scream, grabbing my hair and pulling at it.

"Hey, don't do that," he says gently, moving over to me and pulling me back into his arms. I struggle to break free, but he holds me so tightly. I scream, and cry, and ask him what I did wrong.

"Katniss, I don't even know if I'm going," he says, moving my hair out of my face.

"But you want to."

"Katniss-"

"That's what I thought," I say angrily. "Is that why you haven't been talking to me? O-Or why you've barely been home? Were you just avoiding me?"

"No…I…I wasn't avoiding you. I just didn't want to upset you. You've been so tired and stressed, I just didn't want you to be upset-"

"And you don't think I'm upset now? Gale…You can't leave!"

"Shh…Shh Katniss I'm not going anywhere yet. I'm here, okay? I'm right here." He pulls my back against him, resting against his chest. He holds me tighter right now than he ever has before.

* * *

"Gale what?" Prim asks, her voice slightly muffled through the phone.

"He got promoted, Prim. New York." I whisper, barely even being able to say it.

"He's not going to leave is he?" I shrug my shoulders and sigh, because I don't know.

"He's thinking about it."

"Are you going with him?" She asks, and it's honestly something I haven't thought about yet. Do I really want to uproot my entire life, and leave everyone here that I love?

"I don't know…I haven't really thought about it."

"I can't believe he's really thinking about leaving." She says.

"I honestly don't know what he's going to do. I don't think he's going to want to leave Maria. And he can't take her, unless he takes me. And Prim-" I pause, sucking in a shaky breath in an attempt not to break down. "-I don't want to leave…" I choke out, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

"It's going to be okay, Katniss. Everything is going to be okay." I want to believe her, I do. But I find it harder and harder each day to believe it. "Whatever happens, I'll always be here for you, you know that."

"I don't know Prim, I-"

"Katniss?" I whip around to see Gale standing in the doorway. I point to the phone and let him know I'm talking, but he just shakes his head. "I really need to talk to you." I sigh, and apologize to Prim.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll call you later, okay?" I say, and she says okay, and hangs up.

I slowly turn back around to face him, crossing my arms against my chest. "You wanted to talk?"

"Come here, sit down," he says gently, taking my hand in his and leading me to the couch.

"I need to ask you an important question, and I need you to be completely honest with me, okay?" he asks, and I nod my head. "Do you love me?" he asks carefully, dragging his thumb across my knuckles.

"What? Of course I love you," I say, creasing my eyebrows in confusion. "Why would you even ask that? I-"

"Then come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me. To New York. We can move there, be together." I pull my hands away from his. "Katniss-"

"Gale…" I look at the floor, turning my head away from him. He pulls my face back to his, forcing me to look at him.

"We can do it, you know."

"I don't know that I want to do that, Gale," I pause, taking a deep breath. "I don't know that I want to…to get up and leave. I have Prim…"

"It's not like you wouldn't ever be able to see her, Katniss. We can come visit or something."

"I don't know…" He pulls me forward and crashes his lips to mine, and I melt into him, curling my fingers around the front of his t-shirt.

"Please, at least think about it," he begs, kissing me again. "Please."

I feel like I can't deny him, looking into his eyes and seeing how much he wants this. And god knows he worked so hard to get up to this point. It wouldn't be fair for me to at least night think about it. So I shake me head.

"Okay," I say. "I'll think about it."

"Oh, Katniss-" he kisses me again, holding my face in both his hands. "Thank you, thank you, thank you" he peppers little kisses along my face, down my neck, and back up to my lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," I giggle as he pushes me down onto my back, crawling on top of me.

"You're the best," he smiles, trailing his lips down my neck. I fiddle with the collar of his shirt, grasping it between my fingers. He shifts us so that he's between my legs, and I sigh when his hips make contact with just the right spot.

"God, I missed you," he whispers against my neck, finding his way back to my lips.

"I missed you too," I mumble. "Stop pulling away from me."

"I will," he mutters, shifting himself, hips brushing mine again at the perfect angle. I lift my hips to meet his, and he grins, sliding his hand up the front of my shirt.

"Okay?" he asks, and I nod my head, biting down on my lower lip. His hand is warm when he grabs my breast, kneading it.

"Shit," I gasp, lifting my hips again, seeking friction. His hand slides from my shirt and goes behind me, lifting me and shifting me forward so that my head is resting just against the arm of the couch.

_It's been so long._

"I love you," he says again, tilting his head to bite below my ear. That earns him a pleasant mewl, and I groan in frustration at my impatience. I can feel him smirking against my skin, and I pull on his shirt. He looks up at me then, lifting up from me for only a second before his shirt is ripped off and on the ground. Mine comes off next, pooling beside me.

His hand reaches into my jeans, rubbing against my clit slowly through my underwear. I buck my hips against him, the sensation overwhelming. I start unbuttoning his pants, dragging the zipper down as quickly as I can- when the cries start.

Gales head drops to my shoulder, and his body shakes slightly as he laughs, his breathing heavy. I'm panting, silently cursing myself.

I was about to let him have me right here in the living room.

"Well," he sighs, rolling off of me to stand from the couch. He holds his hand out and pulls me to stand. "That's disappointing," he smirks, pulling me against him. He leans down and plants one last solid kiss to my lips.

"Better get in there before I change my mind on letting you go," he laughs, picking up both of our shirts from the ground, and handing me mine. But after I tug it on and start to walk up the stairs, he grabs my arm and pulls my back against him. His lips hover dangerously close to my ear, and I can feel his hot breath tickle my neck when he says,

"We're not finished here."

* * *

**Oh Maria, cockblocking since day one. That little shit. ;)**

**OH THE SUSPENSE**

**OH NO**

**WILL KATNISS LEAVE?**

**WILL THEY LEAVE TOGETHER FOR NEW YORK?**

**Only time will tell….**

**Or maybe things are just beginning to fall into perfect balance….Or not. You'll never know!**

**Just kidding, you'll probably know within the next few chapters.**


	13. Chapter 13

_I would just like to say that no matter what, this is my story, and if you don't like it, you don't have to read it. I don't know how many times I have to say that this is going to end with Everlark. I didn't even want you guys to know until it happened, but so many people were upset that it was Katniss with Gale, that I just had to add that it was going to be Everlark. Eventually._

_Now, saying that, I would also like to point out that in The Hunger Games, Everlark was, from the very beginning, full of angst. They didn't start off all happy, and in love. They had rough patches, and eventually, and I say eventually, because that's what it takes. Time. And this is my story, and I'm going to take my time in getting it to the right point in time for them to be together._

_I would also like to add that it's not uncommon to be this attached to the father of your child, especially when the baby is so new, and the emotions are so very raw at this stage with Katniss. Gale and Katniss separated on good terms, so to speak, and so it's not rare for her to be acting like this. Peeta told her to take the time to get her feelings in check, and that's what she's doing._

_Katniss is going to do whatever she can to make sure Maria grows up in the best environment for her, and if that's with her and Gale together, then so be it. But thing's aren't always perfect, and they're not always what you want them to be. Katniss is going to test things out, she wants to be sure she's making the right decision for her daughter._

_So I'm asking you to just please have patience with me. The story is finally moving along in this chapter, so hopefully you all are pleased with it._

_Remember, good things come to those who wait._

* * *

I'm laying in bed, facing away from him, staring at the wall in front of me. We are about as far away from each other as two people can get; the distance swallowing me like an ocean. The tension in the room is sky high; both knowing the other is awake.

I told Gale today that I didn't want to leave. That I can't; I won't.

He said he wouldn't be angry with me, that he wouldn't treat me any differently, but we all know that's a lie. As soon as the words left my mouth, all emotions were displayed to the other. Angry, frustrated, livid emotions, and everything changed.

Nothing could ever be the same now.

"I'm sorry," he whispes, knowing full well that I wouldn't respond. And I don't

I squeeze my eyes shut; I will not cry. I will not cry, I will not scream, I will not show anymore outward emotions.

I'm good at this, anyway. Shutting people out, pretending they don't exist. That I don't exist. It comes naturally to me, disappearing. I've had a lot of practice, I guess. I was invisible to Gale practically for years; I don't know why I convinced myself anything would change.

And how could it?

He's leaving. Leaving me here, leaving Maria here, leaving everything here. He's packing up and moving his entire life down to New York, for a stupid, stupid job. He won't miss me, I'm sure of it. He never did before, so why would he now?

He still owns his apartment downtown, so he has to wait until he can sign the early release contract papers in order to move out. He said he'll stay here with me for another two weeks before moving out of here, but we both know he'll move sooner than that.

I feel like I should feel something, anything, towards him right now. Maybe even anger. But I just don't feel anything. I'm so emotionally raw at this point, both of us having exposed parts of ourselves we didn't know existed.

Both of us said some things that neither of us would ever be able to take back.

"Hey," he whispers, and I can feel the bed shift underneath me. I still don't say anything; I don't respond, just lay there.

"Katniss."

Still not wanting to deal with this, I pretend to be asleep, trying my best to even out my breathing. But he knows better.

"I know you're awake," he says, and the bed dips beneath me as I feel him scoot behind me. His hand skims down the length of my arm, and I shudder at the contact. "Katniss," he urges, giving my wrist a gentle squeeze. "You can't pretend to be asleep forever."

"I really don't feel like talking right now," my words come out cold, angry and bitter.

"Well, I don't care. This is important, and we really need to talk about it," he fights back, turning me over to look at him. "You can't just pretend this isn't happening."

I don't say anything, and I avert my gaze anywhere but his. But he grabs my face in his hands and forces me to look at him. He looks hurt, but I feel no pity.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," I pull my hand from his and yank it towards me, holding it to my chest. "I just can't."

"Damnit Katniss, can you please stop being so selfish and consider listening to me for once?" he half yells, turning me back towards him. I push him away, holding my hands out to keep him from getting any closer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was the one leaving my family to go work in New York. I'm so sorry for having feelings, and being upset by this." I say, sarcasm dripping from my lips. "God forbid I not want you to leave."

"God forbid you come with me," he retorts, and I feel his body shift closer to mine, his front pressed up against my back. "You can still come with me."

"No, Gale. We've been over this." I say, ending the conversation there. I'm not repeating myself over and over and over again.

"And I'm still not over talking about it. We _need_ to talk about this."

"I really don't see what else there is to talk about. You're leaving, you decided what's more important." I pull the blankets up above my head and hide, burying my face into the pillow. I know I should really feel something, anger even. But I just feel empty, abandoned.

He lifts the blanket from me, exposing my face. I feel him reach for me, trying to turn me around, but I yank myself away.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" I demand, throwing the blankets off of me and getting out of me. "Just…just leave me alone." And with that, I'm out the door. I walk into the kitchen, flipping on one of the lights.

Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, I hold it under the fridge, watching the steady stream of water pour onto the ice. I take a large gulp of it, the bitter coldness of it falling down my throat.

"Katniss," I jump at the proximity of his voice, and the glass drops from my hand, shattering against the tiled floor. Angry tears begin to surface at the corners of my eyes, but I hold the back, swallowing hard before walking over to the pantry and grabbing the broom. I completely ignore him.

"Katniss," he says again, and I finally turn around, meeting his hard stare. "We weren't done talking."

"I was," I retort, bending down and sweeping up the shards of glass.

"That's not fair, and you know it."

"Fair?" I laugh, standing to face him with my arms crossed against my chest. "You really want to talk to me about fairness, Gale?" My voice gets higher and higher the more worked up I become. "Because I don't think it's fair for you to be doing this."

"What? What am I doing wrong? I want you to come with me, I told you that I want you to come with me," he says, throwing his hands out in front of him. "I don't see why you won't even just consider it."

"I did consider it, Gale! And I don't want to leave! Prim is here. I can't leave her here, she's all I have!" I scream, before I realize what I had just said.

There I go again, sticking my foot in my mouth.

"Excuse me?" he asks, stepping a little closer to me.

"I-I didn't mean it like that, Gale. I-"

"Oh, and what did you mean, exactly?" he's angry, I can feel it in every sense. "Am I not enough for you, Katniss? Is that it?"

"No, no, that's not- That's not what I meant. I care about you, and-"

"Care about me?" he asks, balling his hands into fists. "I thought you loved me."

I'm silent, not able to speak. I've completely lost the ability to form words. I open my mouth to talk, but the words are lost on my tongue.

"So that's really it, huh?" He scoffs, running his hands furiously through his hair. "I really thought more of you, you know that? I thought that we might actually have a chance, Katniss. A real chance of maybe working this out and being a real family," I look at the ground, sick to my stomach. "But I can see that's not going to happen." My eyes fly up to his, meeting his cold, hard gaze.

"Please don't do this," I begin to choke. "Please, you don't have to do this. We can-"

"Save it, Katniss," he argues, waving me off. "Don't waste your breath."

"But Gale, I l-"

"Stop. Don't say it," he says through gritted teeth. "Don't say something you don't mean." He cautions, holding his hand out. "Just don't." So I don't. I don't tell him that I love him. I wish I did, I wish I could say it and mean it this time, but the thought of it makes my chest ache.

Where did we go wrong? We were doing so well…and then, and then everything started happening all at once. He walked out, and I didn't see him for weeks. And then when he finally came back, he didn't speak much, and spent the majority of his time in the nursery with Maria, who, won't even know who her father is until she's old enough to remember.

I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes, and I turn away from him, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes, willing them to stop. My chest heaves with each breath that I take, and I have to tell myself to stop. But it doesn't do any good, the tears keep coming.

"Hey, don't do this," I feel him behind me suddenly, wrapping his arms around me from behind. "Don't cry, don't do that." He holds me tightly against him, completely enveloped in his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispers. "I shouldn't have said that."

"You know that I love you," I manage to say, biting my lip. "You know that."

"Of course I know that." He replies, turning me around in his arms. He lifts my chin up, and I look into his eyes. "But I also know that you don't love me the same way that you always did." I have to look away, anywhere but him.

"I-"

"And that's okay, Katniss. It is." I look back at him, confusion written clearly across my face. "Just know that I'll always love you."

"Gale…"

"Let me finish," he says more sternly. "Look at me. Hey," he holds my face in his hands, looking me in the eyes.

"I'll always love you, as Maria's mother. And I'll love you as the mother of my child for the rest of my life. You'll always hold a special place in my heart." He whispers gently, holding my hand in his and pressing it against his chest, right over his heart. I close my eyes and focus on the beating of his heart, letting the tears roll freely down my cheeks.

"And _I'll_ always love you." I whisper.

* * *

"Need any help?" he jumps slightly, turning around and watching as I kneel down next to him, Maria in my arms. She's five months old now, getting bigger and bigger every day.

Gale has been in the closet for a while now, packing and organizing boxes. Right now, he's lightly sifting through old things. Childhood, all through high-school, memorabilia. He lifts up a picture and hold it out to me to look at.

I lay Maria down on her blanket beside me. She giggles and coos, and I rub her belly before grabbing the picture and stare at it.

"Oh wow," I whisper, clutching the photo in my hand tightly. "You still have this?" I laugh, looking at it more closely. It's our Junior prom, and we couldn't look any more awkward.

"My dress was atrocious," I laugh, blanching. "And my hair, what was I thinking?"

"Oh come on, I thought you looked beautiful," he smiles, pointing at me in the picture. The bright red dress was formfitting, but I didn't have much of a form then. My hair was wild and all over the place, the long curls loosely clipped to my head.

"At least the dance was fun," he says, picking through some more of the box.

"It was not! We got in so much trouble," I smile sheepishly, blushing at the thought of it.

"But we got to leave early, that was the best part of the night."

"Gale!" I yell, hitting him playfully on the arm. "You can't say stuff like that in front of your daughter," I laugh, and the face he makes, raising his eyebrows suggestively, causes me to double over in a laughing fit.

"Oh come on, you cannot tell me that it wasn't one of the best nights of your life," he says, taking on a more serious tone. I sit up, then, smoothing my hair back and tucking it behind my ears. "At least, it was for me."

He's right. It was probably one of the most fun nights of my entire life. We went to In and Out burger, and ordered so many fries we thought we were going to explode. And then-

"Oh, remember when it started pouring, and we run all the way back to the school because you thought it would be more fun to walk instead of drive?" He laughs, taking the picture out of my hands. "Ah, prom, allowing teens to have car sex after being kicked out against their will."

My entire body must be flushed red, because when he looks at me, he smirks.

"What?" he asks.

"Nothing, I just miss that car." I say, blushing even more. "We had a lot of good times in that thing."

"Good times? Like getting caught by the police having sex in the backseat?" he laughs, and I can't help but smile.

And I smile because, even though we may not be staying together, at least we can still talk and laugh about the crazy things that have happened to us in the past. I'm glad that we are going to be able to at least have some kind of relationship, even if we aren't married, or even technically together.

"That poor man, he was so mortified!"

"Remember the look on his face when he was all like 'you two kids be safe now'?" We both break out into a laughing fit, and I can't help but notice Maria giggling as well.

"Oh, are you gonna miss your daddy? Yes you are!" Gale says to her, leaning in close to her face and making silly faces. She giggles and blows tiny bubbles, and a wide smile spreads across Gales face.

And although she doesn't know or understand what he's saying, I do.

Both of us can feel a shift in the mood, so he sits back up and looks at me, concern crossing his features. "Hey," he says gently, taking the picture out of my hands and putting it back into the box. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing- It's nothing."

"It's not nothing, I know it's not." He says, pushing the box out of way, moving to sit closer to me. "Tell me."

"I just…I'm scared she's not going to know who you are."

"Katniss…" he starts gently, reaching out to hold one of my hands. "I'm not leaving forever. I'll come down every once in a while, okay? She's not going to forget me."

"I know it sounds ridiculous," I say, pulling my hand away and tucking it between my knees. "I just don't want her to grow up without a dad," I pause again, sucking in a deep breath. "Like me."

"Oh Katniss," he whispers, pulling me to him. "Nothing is going to happen to me okay? I'll always be here for the both of you. I won't be gone forever."

My fathers death caused me to grow up way too fast, and I'll be damned if the same thing happens to Maria. I won't allow it.

"No matter what, you have to be there for her," I demand, crawling out of his arms and sitting across from him, putting distance between us. I wrap my arms around myself, resting my head on my knees. "You can't just leave without coming back."

"I told you, I'll be back as much as I can. I'll even try to set up a schedule. I promise."

A thick silence falls over us for a few minutes, neither of us really knowing what to say to the other.

"Are we going to be okay?" I ask, looking at him for an answer. "Are we?"

"Yeah, of course we are," he replies, giving me a halfhearted smile. "We're going to be okay."

This is good, I tell myself. And I allow him to pull me into a hug, both of us on our knees, holding each other. We can separate on good terms now, and I couldn't be happier.

And at least we got Maria out of all of this. I wouldn't take any of this back for anything in the entire world.

Life is starting to finally fall into place.

* * *

_Well, what did I tell you? Did I or did I not tell you that things were beginning to change, and that the story was about to start picking up the pace? I told you, it's finally starting to develop more and more._

_And yes, soon, very soon, VERY VERY soon, Peeta comes back._


	14. Chapter 14

_Hey guys!_

_New chapter! But it's in Peeta's POV..._

_Enjoy :)_

* * *

The pounding on the door is insistent, and it isn't until I'm almost to the door that it finally stops. And when I open it, icy blue eyes are boring into mine.

"What are you doing here?" I demand, clutching the door in my hand to keep her from gaining access into the house.

"I'm here for my son," Delly seethes, trying to push past me. I step into the open doorway, blocking her entrance. "What the hell Peeta?"

"You didn't call."

"I don't have to, he's my son, too," she bites, peeking through the cracked door around and around me, as if she's looking for something. "Are you really not going to let me in?"

"No," I respond soundly. I try to close the door, but she puts her hand on it, keeping it cracked. "Delly-"

"Peeta," she says in a mocking tone. "Seriously."

"Why do you think you can always just show up here and expect me to hand him over? He's a person, not an animal," I say, stepping out onto the porch to avoid waking Avery up.

He hasn't been able to sleep very well lately. He isn't the only one.

"He's sleeping, just leave him alone."

"I actually wanted to give you this before I take him," she says, reaching into her purse and pulling out a piece of paper. I take it from her, skimming my eyes over the words.

"What the hell is this?"

"It's a child custody claim. It says that I am allowed to take Avery if, and when, I want to. I am his mother, after all." I stare at her in disbelief.

"Those are some bold words for someone who abandoned him not even three months after he was born," I spit, shoving the paper back into her hands. "How long are we going to do this? I told you that you're not taking him."

"Yes, I am," she says, reaching for the door. I side step, hitting my back against the door. "You can't keep me from seeing my own son, it isn't fair, Peeta."

"It isn't fair? Do you really want to talk about what isn't fair?" I ask, crossing my arms against my chest. "Because I am pretty sure I give you a very good reason to turn around and walk away."

"Damnit Peeta, it's not a big deal, I just want to see him. Stop being such a dick."

"Now you're definitely not seeing him. Go home."

"I'm not leaving without Avery," she says, crossing her arms defensively, mirroring me. "I can stand here all day."

"Well that's what you're going to have to do, because you're not stepping one foot inside _my_ house." I grunt, shoving the door open and slamming it behind me, locking it for good measure.

I wait to hear the sound of her car engine running before I walk up the stairs to check on Avery. Sure enough, he's sound asleep in my bed, his growing limbs twisted and tangled into the white bed sheets.

"Hey," I whisper, shaking him awake. "It's almost time to go see Annie and Finn, okay?"

His eyes slowly open, peering up at me through deep blue eyes. "Do you have to go to work today, daddy?" his little voice says, stretching his arms out. "I don't want to go to Finn's."

"How this," I start, kneeling down beside him, resting my elbows on the mattress. "How about after I pick you up from Finn's, we go and get some ice-cream. Just you and me," I say, playfully punching his arm.

"Can Katniss come?" he asks, his eyes gleaming and his lips turning up into the widest smile. "Oh please dad?"

"I uh, I don't think she can come with us tonight, I'm sorry Ave," I say, patting his head before standing up and walking towards the door. I stop before I'm able to reach it when his weak voice reaches my ears.

"But when can I see her? I miss her bunches. She let's me eat candy before bed. Finnick never let's me do that." I turn to see him dramatically folding his arms over his chest, pouting his bottom lip.

"I don't know, Avery, I'm sorry. But hopefully sometime soon, okay?" I say before walking out of the room, leaving the door cracked just slightly.

I run my hands through my hair, pulling at it slightly while walking down the stairs and into the kitchen. I pick my phone up off the counter and check it for any text messages or voicemails, but to my dismay, I don't have anything.

It's been an ongoing battle between Avery's mother Delly and myself for the past four and a half years, struggling between custody and splitting up.

Delly left Avery and I only four months after he was born, claiming she couldn't do it anymore. But she came back a year later, begging to come home. I refused. And after she left, I went seeking full custody of him, getting it granted.

But every other week I would allow Delly to come around and take him to school, but she got in the habit of forgetting or just simply not coming to do it, that I finally called the whole thing off, telling her that I get to decide now when she gets to take him. She was fine with it for a while, but all of the sudden, she keeps coming around, trying to take him from me.

And I just can't have that.

* * *

The restaurant is a lot busier tonight than usual, not that this place isn't usually busy.

I try and weave my way through the crowd, dodging waitresses carrying large plates of food, barely missing one as I side step around it, narrowly knocking over a tray of wine.

"Whoa there, Mellark, get your head out of the toilet and start focusing. Can't have you spilling food all over someone tonight," Annie walks over to me, giving me a warm smile. "What's got your head in a fog, huh?"

I don't even have to answer her.

"Okay, you have to figure this whole Delly thing out before you lose your mind," she whispers, tucking a tray between her torso and her arm. "This isn't like you, Peet."

"I know I know, I'm sorry," I say, running a hand through my neatly styled hair surely mussing it up. "I just…I don't even know, it's like she's trying to-"

"Hey Annie, your couple at table four is waiting for their tab." I turn to see Madge waving Annie over form the front.

"I got it," I say, taking the folder from her hands. "Maybe if I bury myself with work tonight, I can manage to clear my head," I say, nodding to her before walking off towards table four.

Once I get there, a familiar head of blonde curls catches my eyes.

_Prim?_

I walk towards table four, gently setting the folder down. Prim looks up at me, surprised, and clears her throat.

"Oh, Peeta, hi," she says, giving me an easy smile. "How's everything?"

"It's alright," I curtly respond, forcing a smile. My eyes drift to the man in front of her, all dark hair and dark eyes. He looks oddly familiar, but I can't quite place him.

"Good, um, Peeta, this is Rory Haw- Rory." I watch the man in front of her shift in his seat, nodding his head at me.

"Nice to meet you," I nod back at him, turning back to Prim. "So sorry I can't stay longer, it's really busy tonight."

"It's alright, it was nice to see you." She says, folding a napkin in her lap smoothly.

I decide to stick my foot in my mouth.

"Have you- Have you seen Katniss recently?" I ask, scratching the side of my head nervously. She makes eye contact with Rory before looking to me.

"Yeah, she's uh, she's good. Gale's actually about to head off to-"

"Hey Peeta, I've got a situation up front." Annie interrupts, quietly whispering into my ear. "It's important." I nod my head and she walks away.

"It was nice to see you, Prim," I say before walking towards the front.

_What the hell?_

"What are you doing here?" I ask Delly, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the building. "Why are you here?"

"Nice to see you too," she scoffs, rubbing her arms in the cool September air.

"Stop messing around, what do you want? I have a business to run." I say firmly, narrowing my eyes.

"I just wanted to talk, I need to talk to you."

"I really don't have time right now to talk. If I get home in time, I'll call you, okay? But right now I'm extremely busy any don't have time to argue with you."

"But Peeta, I just-"

"I'm sorry, I can't," I turn on my heels and walk back into the restaurant, getting a sad look from Annie on my way in.

"Chin up, it'll be okay, alright?"

"I don't know Annie…I just don't know."

* * *

It's midnight by the time I walk up to Finnick's door, getting there just after Annie. I rap on it lightly as to not wake up the kids if they're asleep. When the door the door quietly swings open a few seconds later, a tired looking Finnick stares back at me.

"Finnick?" I ask, peeking through the door. "You going to let me in or are you going to stand there all night?"

He gives me a confused look, glancing down at his watch with sleepy eyes. "What are you talking about Peet?"

"Where's Avery?" I ask, pushing the door the rest of the way open.

"What are you talking about?" He asks, rubbing his eyes. "Delly took him like…five hours ago." He says, stretching his arms above his head.

"What?" I yell, balling my hands into fists. "What do you mean she took him?"

"Wait, you didn't know?" he raises his eyebrows, bracing himself against the doorframe as he yawns. "She came and said you told her to pick him up early because you wouldn't be able to."

"Are you kidding me?"

I try to keep calm, but the burning rage inside of me ignites an anger so large that I find it hard to control myself.

"Where did she go?" I ask, pulling my phone out of my pocket. "Did she say?"

"I don't know, she just took him and left. Fuck Peet, I thought you knew already."

"Well I didn't," I say, punching in her number on my phone and stepping off the porch and climbing into my car.

She doesn't answer the first time, but when I try again, she picks up after the first ring.

"What the hell Peeta? It's almost one o'clock in the morning," she says, sleep filling her voice.

"What- where are you?"

"I'm at home, Peeta."

"Why the hell did you take Avery? I told you not to do that!"

"I took _my_ son to _my_ home because I have the right to. I don't owe you any explanation."

"The hell you don't! You had no right to take him without telling me."

"Peeta, it's really not a big deal, I'll just-"

"I'm coming to get him."

"No, Peeta, don't-"

I hang up before she get's the chance to finish.

"Come outside," I bark into the phone, standing out in the cool September air. I stand in front of her door, tapping my foot impatiently.

Minutes later, the door knob begins to jostle, and the door creaks open.

"Who the hell do you think you are to go behind my back like that and take Avery?" I yell, stepping through the door.

"Calm down Peeta, be quiet," she whispers, pulling the door shut. It's then that I notice her state of dress. Her filled out body barely covered with just a robe hanging off her shoulders.

"What- seriously?" I ask, furious. "Is someone here? Are you fucking kidding me?" She tugs once more at the robe, pulling it back onto her shoulder and wrapping her arms around herself. "What-"

"Dell?" A mans voice echoes, and my eyes drift to the hallways, where a tall blonde man appears. "Who the hell is this?"

"Uh, Cato, this is Peeta, he's just-"

"I'm here to get my son," I interject, pushing past him and walking into the spare room. Avery's looks up from his book and instantly smiles once he sees me.

"What are you doing awake?" I ask. "It's way past your bedtime."

"I couldn't sleep, dad. I don't like it here. But mommy said I had to come here with her." He gets up and runs to me and hugs me, looking up. "Are you taking me home?"

"Yeah, Ave, I'm taking you home."

He picks up his bag off the floor and walks behind me, clutching his book in his hands. I stand by the door before walking out, pushing Avery behind me when I turn to face Delly.

"Don't even bother coming to his party this weekend." I say, turning and walk out the door.

* * *

"What do you want to eat for your birthday? It's only fair that the birthday boy gets to pick out his own dinner," I say, looking through the shelves of boxed goods. "I could make...Spaghetti? You like that, right?" Avery sticks his tongue out at me, making a gross face.

"No, dad! I want cake, and ice cream, and…and candy!" he exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. I chuckle, grabbing a couple boxes of spaghetti noodles anyways.

"Well you have to have dinner before you have the desert. I don't want to spoil your appetite-"

I grab my head as a box of something hits me on the head. I spin around to say something when my eyes meet grey ones.

"Katniss?" I say, confusion washing over me.

"Peeta?" she asks. We both bend down at the same time to pick up what she dropped, and I can't help but mutter "déjà vu."

"I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to drop that on you. My hands are kind of tied up right now." I look behind her and look at the baby seat propped up the cart. I can't help but wonder how long it's really been since we've seen each other.

"Is that-?" I ask, nodding towards the smiling baby. "Is that-"

"Maria?" She raises her eyebrows as if I've just asked the most stupid question.

"She just…she just looks a lot bigger." I mumble, clearing my throat.

"Oh yeah, it's uh- she's six months old." She smiles before looking away from me. "It's been a while, I guess."

"Yeah, I uh, I'm sorry. I meant to-"

"It's okay, really, I've been…" she doesn't finish. She doesn't need to.

"Katniss?" I turn around and see Avery walking over to us. "Katniss!" He yells, running over to her. She bends down and he throws his arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. Even after about a minute, he doesn't let go.

"I think someone missed me," Katniss says, her lips curving into a smile. "Hey," she whispers, pulling away from him. "You wanna meet my baby?" Avery's eyes go so wide I swear they could pop out of his head.

"Yes!" he screams.

"Okay, I'm gonna lift you up to look, alright? But you gotta be quiet, she's asleep."

She picks Avery up and leans him over the cart. His face breaks out into a smile, and he leans in to touch Maria's face lightly.

"She's so pretty Katniss," he whispers, looking at Katniss. "She looks lots like you."

"Thank you," she smiles, setting him back down on the ground. "I think you look a lot like your daddy."

"I do!" he grins, looking at me.

"Everyone says he looks like me, but I don't see it."

"Oh I do," Katniss says, looking me over slowly. "He has your eyes."

She pauses for a moment, looking away as if regretting what she said. She closes her eyes for a moment, inhaling a deep breath before opening them back.

"Well I should really be going, it was good to see you," she says.

"Wait- When can I see you again?" I ask, sounding too overly eager.

"Yeah Katniss, when do I get to see you?" Avery pouts, sticking his lip out. Katniss sighs and smiles, and I can't help but feel relief.

"I don't know, maybe soon, okay?" She says, looking back at me. "You can call me." She says before looking down and walking away.

I can't help but smile.

* * *

_I hope this cleared a lot of things up, and I hope you guys start to realize that neither Katniss nor Peeta are out of character, Peeta's just had a lot on his plate, and it's obvious that he wasn't able to contact Katniss for a long time because of all of his personal things he's had to deal with. He's not evil, and he's not purposefully keeping Avery away from Katniss._

_And yes, daddy!Finnick works, but not at night. He's a swim coach during the day (and Annie works at Night at Peeta's restaurant, which if you didn't know, is a night restaurant. Like a fancy place.)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Okay guys, so this chapter switches back into Katniss' POV. _

* * *

"You need any help with that?" I ask, standing in the open doorway, watching Gale place his things into his car. His head lifts as he begins closing the trunk, his mouth lifting into a half smile.

"No, I think I have everything," he says, walking across the driveway and up to the door. "My flight leaves in an hour, so I have to go soon." His jaw clenches and he swallows hard before walking past me into the house.

"Have you eaten?"

"I'll just eat on the plane. Really, it's not a big deal," he smiles slightly, walking over to me after I shut the door. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," I whisper, looking at the ground. He lifts my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"You know I'll be back in six months, right? I'll be back, and I'll see you, and Maria, and we'll be fine. I'll stay a week before going back, I've already made the plans," he says, searching my eyes for something, anything, any kind of indication of sadness.

But I feel nothing but relief.

"I know, I know," I mutter, backing away from him. "I'll get Maria, okay? I'll see if she's awake so you can say goodbye."

I walk back into the living room with a barely awake Maria laid against my chest. I hand her to Gale, and he takes her into his arms, holding her against his chest. Her tiny mouth opens into a big yawn and I smile.

"Daddy's going to miss you, you know," Gale coos, gently bouncing her in his arms. "But don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."

I stand and watch as Gale says goodbye, and even though Maria won't remember him being gone, I can't help but feel a little sad about him leaving. And not necessarily sad that he's going to be gone, but sad about him having to be away from Maria. He doesn't like to admit it, but she's got him wrapped around her tiny finger.

"When you get back, she'll be one," I say, and his eyes meet mine. "You're going to make it to her first birthday, right?"

"Of course, Katniss. I wouldn't miss it."

"Okay," and I take her from his arms, cradling her against me. "Please drive carefully to the airport."

"I will," he says with a smile, walking to the door and pushing it open.

"Don't be a stranger," I yell after him as he walks to his car and opens the door. "Call me when your plane lands." He answers me with a nod of the head and a small wave, closing the car door and pulling out of the driveway and driving off down the street.

* * *

"You know what time it is?" I coo to Maria, buckling her into her carseat. "It's birthday party time."

Peeta and I have been talking again recently, though I've been trying to keep it mostly platonic for now. If I've learned anything, it's that I'm my own person, and I really don't need anyone taking care of me; I can take care of myself. So I've decided to take things slow for now.

He invited me to come to Avery's sixth birthday party this afternoon, so that where we are heading to right now. Although I don't know how comfortable bringing a six month old to a party full of riled up six year olds, I told Peeta i would be there.

I pull onto Peeta's street and try to find the nearest parking spot near his house, which happens to be at least four houses down. The street is packed, and I can't help but wonder just how many little kids are really going to be here.

This might be the most miserable experience of my life.

I unbuckle Maria and tuck her blanket over her head to keep her face shielded from the cool October air. And although it's bright and sunny outside, the wind is brutal.

I knock on the door a few time before it swings open, revealing a very pleasantly happy Peeta, clad in dark jeans and light blue button up shirt, almost the same shade as his eyes.

"Katniss!" Maria stirs at the loud sound of his voice, and her blanket falls off of her head and sinks to the ground. Peeta bends down and picks it up, laying it across my shoulder. "Sorry, I'm glad you could make it," he smiles while stepping aside, allowing me into his house.

The moment I enter it's chaos. It's like the invasion of the children of the corn. Little boys and girls running amuck around the large expanse of the foyer and living room, chasing each other and screaming, running wild.

"You throw quite the party…" I say, carefully setting Avery's hastily wrapped gift down onto the gift table by the door.

"I guess you could say that," he laughs, his right hand going to rub the back of his neck. "I told Avery he could have a few friends over, but I guess he told everyone is his class, so...here we are."

"Ah, so you've just been over run."

"Well I definitely wasn't expecting this many people to show up," he chuckles lightly, holding out his hand. "Want me to put your bags upstairs? I can put them in my room so they don't get trampled on or rifled through."

"Oh yeah, uh, thanks," I manage to get out, carefully sliding Maria's diaper bag off my shoulder without waking her. "Thank you."

"No problem." There's that damn smile again.

I shift Maria in my arms as Peeta walks up the stairs, disappearing around the corner. I walk around into the kitchen, seeking out Avery until I find him chasing Finn.

"Hey Avery," I yell across the room, walking over to where he seems to be frozen in his spot once he sees me.

"Katniss! You came!" He says excitedly, jumping once before running up to me and hugging me around the waist. "Is your baby asleep?"

"Yes," I giggle, reaching down with my free hand and shuffling his hair. He looks up at me with a curious expression,

"Your baby sure sleeps a lot. Is she okay?" This causes me to laugh.

"Yes, she's just really little and likes to take lot's of naps," I explain, bending down to be face to face with him. "You wanna see her again?"

His face lights up immediately, and I remove the blanket from atop her head, revealing the dark patches of hair across her head. He eyes flutter open and she yawns.

"She sure looks lots like you Katniss," Avery says, smiling at me. "She's so pretty."

Thank you," I reply with a smile, standing back up. And as I do so, my back collides with something solid, and I swing around, my face hovering just inches from Peeta's.

"Oh, sorry!" I quickly back away, holding Maria closer to my chest. "I didn't mean to run into you." His face breaks into a wide smile.

"You're fine," he chuckles softly, looking down to Avery. "Did you want to open presents now, or eat first?"

"Presents!" He yells, running into the living room.

"I guess that answers that question," I say, patting Maria on her back and swaying her gently, trying to get her to go back to sleep.

"Did you want to lay her down for a nap? You can put her in my room," Peeta says, leaning up against the countertop. "When Avery was that little, I made a little barricade in the middle of my bed with pillows, so that way he wouldn't roll off," he motions for me to follow him, so I do, walking up the stairs and into his room.

"I still have baby monitors too, I still use them," he says, walking over to his nightstand and picking up one of the monitors. "I guess I'm just a little paranoid."

"Maybe protective would be a better word," I say, taking the monitor from his hand. I set it down for a moment while I lie her down in the middle of the king sized bed. Peet helps me put pillows all around her, ensuring that she won't roll off.

"Thanks again, her schedule is really messed up. Everything's been a little...stressful lately," I mutter, sitting on the edge of the bed, tracing the back of my forefinger across her forehead and down her cheek.

"I understand," he says gently, walking over towards the door. "Like I say, the monitors all work. I'm going to grab the one from Avery's room so you can keep it downstairs with you," he says before walking out of the room.

While he's gone, I get a fair amount of time to survey the room. The light grey walls give a good contrast against the dark wood floors, with similar wooden furniture. I skim my hand across the white downy comforter, relishing in the way it molds between my fingers.

"I got this one from Avery's room and I replaced the batteries just in case," Peeta smiles, walking back into the room and handing me the monitor. "It should work fine."

"Thanks again. Thank you so much."

"It's really no problem, Katniss," and he smiles that same smile that causes my stomach to flip. I tell myself it's nothing, but I must be fooling myself.

I lean down and place a gentle kiss on Maria's forehead before standing back up and joining Peeta at the doorway. When we walk downstairs, there's a blonde man standing by the front door.

"Finnick, you made it!" Peeta says, walking over to him and greeting him with a firm handshake and pat on the back. "I thought you were just going to drop off Finn and get the hell out."

"Yeah right, and miss a party like that?" Finnick says, gesturing around the room to the many kids who are still running around. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." His eyes finally land on me, and his eyebrows quirk. "Who's this?" he asks.

"Oh, right," Peeta starts, walking over to me. "Finnick, this is Katniss. Katniss, this is Finnick."

"Pleasure to meet you...Katniss." Finnicks voice drops an octave as he approaches me, taking my wrist in his hand and placing a wet kiss on the palm of my hand.

"Uh, likewise," I mutter uncomfortable, pulling my hand away and out of his grasp. I wipe his spit off the back of my hand against my jeans.

"Okay Finn, let's not scare her away." Peeta says, giving him a hard stare. "You would think Annie would have taught you how to behave by now."

"Oh relax Peet, I'm just funnin,'" Finnick says, turning back to me. "I'm sorry, let me properly introduce myself. I'm Finnick, the more handsome man in the room," he says demurely, holding out his hand for me to shake. I give him my free hand and watch Peeta roll his eyes and cross his arms against his chest, laughing to himself.

"Damn you," Peeta mutters, shoving him jokingly. "Damn you to hell."

"Hey now, let's not fight in front of the pretty lady," Finnick says. "Wouldn't want to scare her away."

"Okay, that's enough of that," Peeta jokes, dragging Finnick away from me. "Let's go watch Avery open presents."

* * *

"Okay Ave, this one's from Katniss,' Peeta says, handing him the poorly wrapped gift. Avery quickly accepts it and rips it open in seconds. I look to Peeta first, and watch his eyes light up instantaneously.

"What is it?" Avery asks, flipping it over and examining it closely.

"It's a drawing tablet. I got it so you can learn to draw like your dad," I say, smiling at him. And when I meet Peeta's gaze, I know I made the right decision.

"Really? I can learn to draw like you?" he turns and asks Peeta, who nods his head enthusiastically.

"Yep, I can teach you everything there is to know."

"Oh thanks so much Katniss!" Avery throws his arms around my neck and squeezes tightly, and I wrap my arms around his back. "I'm gonna use this right away!"

"I sure hope so. Wouldn't want to waste any time. And who knows, maybe you'll end up just as good as your daddy." Avery's face breaks out into the widest smile I've ever seen.

"I-" I get cut off by a fit of wails coming from the monitor on the floor. I sigh to myself as I push myself up, standing from the couch. "Duty calls," I mutter, shaking the monitor at peeta.

"Do you need any help?" he asks, standing from the chair beside Avery.

"No, I got it, I'll be back." And before he can say anything else, I'm up the stairs and in his room. I walk over and pick Maria up from the bed, taking her into my arms and cradling her against me. I sit down on the edge of the bed and rock her gently.

"Shh.. it's gonna be okay. Mommy's here," I coo, bouncing her a little harder. "Are you hungry? You're probably hungry," I mutter, reaching down and unzipping her diaper bag and pulling out one of the bottles.

Good thing I pumped this morning.

"See? There you go. You were just hungry," I say gently, holding the bottle to her mouth. I kick my shoes off and scoot back further onto the bed. Still keeping Maria cradled against me, I manage to lie down on my side, with her tucked against my chest on the bed. I rest my head on my arm and close my eyes for just a few seconds…

"Katniss?" I'm woken up by the sound of Peeta's voice. My eyes flutter open and I immediately notice Maria is missing.

"What?-" I start to ask, but when I look up, I notice Peeta standing a few feet back from the bed, Maria cradled in his arms, peacefully asleep. I sit up and rub my eyes, looking around the room, confused. "What time is it?"

"Uh, a little after nine."

"What? How did I sleep that long?" I ask.

"You were gone for about an hour, and when you didn't come back down, I came up here to check to see if everything was okay. I found you asleep, and this little one was wiggling around, as happy as she could me." he says, bouncing and swaying her. My heart swells as I watch him with her. It looks so easy for him.

'You're really good with her," I whisper, leaning down to put my shoes back on.

"Yeah? Everyone used to tell me that I was good with kids. I guess i never really understood until I had one of my own, you know?" he says, walking over and handing her back to me. I hold my arms out and take her.

"Well, they were right. You're really good with her. And with Avery too, he's such a good kid," I say, standing from the bed. "You've raised him really well."

"Thank you," he says, giving me a shy smile. "You're really good with Maria as well Avery. That kid really loves you."

"Well, I don't know about that, but he seems to really like me." I bend over and pick up Maria's diaper back and hoisting it onto my shoulder.

"Do you need any help with that?" he asks.

"No, I got it. Thank you though," I say, shifting Maria in my arms. "I had a really good time today, thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome."

"And sorry again for falling asleep. I guess I didn't realize how exhausted I was until I actually lied down," I say, walking towards the stairs. Peeta follows behind me until we reach the door.

"Tell Avery I say bye, okay?"

"Sure, I will," he says smiling. "So, I'll see you…?"

"Monday? I could swing by after Avery get's out of school and watch him while you're at work, if that's-"

"Yes, that's perfect," he says, cutting me off. "Thank you."

"No problem," I say, and he opens the door for me. "Oh, and peeta?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you so much for inviting me, I really had a good time," I say, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, smiling sheepishly.

"No, thank you for coming. You made Avery really happy. He was so happy you came, he didn't stop talking about it until he went to sleep," he says, leaning against the door frame. "I think you really made his day special, Katniss. Thank you."

I can't help but smile so hard that it must seem like a grimace.

"You're welcome."

* * *

_Well, I would be lying if I didn't say I'm really excited about how this is turning out. I'm finally getting into Everlark (hallelujah), and I know everyone is really excited about it! I know I am, at least._

_Anyways, I was really excited to write this because I really wanted a way for Katniss to get connected with Peeta again, even if it's just as friends right now. I felt like this was almost perfect._

_So thank you for reading, and don't forget to write a review, and tell me what you think is going to happen next! Who knows, I may just use some of your ideas! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Hey guys! There's like 5 feet of snow here in Kentucky, so I'm probably going to be out of school all week. And yes, colleges close for snow, apparently._

_Anyways, being stuck inside with nothing to do, I figured I would update again! Which also means that I'll be uploading probably a couple more chapters this week, since I'll probably be stuck inside with nowhere to go. Also, I'm super excited to get this moving along, and I know you guys are too. Like, who doesn't love a little Everlark?_

WAIT. HOLD THE PHONE.

DID YOU GUYS WATCH THE NEW DELETED SCENE CLIP?!

THE ONE WITH PEETA AND PRESIDENT SNOW ALL LIKE "I'm not asking." LIKE FUCK YOU SNOW.

I'm cURRENTLY SCREAMING ABOUT IT

_Anyways, *cough*, back to the story…_

* * *

The constant ringing of my phone is what eventually wakes me from my sleep. Rolling over, I reach lazily for my phone and hold it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, you told me to call you when my plane landed." Oh, it's Gale. I look over to the clock and look at the time; 3:00.

"Yeah, hey. I'm glad you got there safely," I say groggily, plopping back down onto my back, snuggling into the warm blankets.

"Did I wake you?"

"Uh, yeah. It's three in the morning."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about it. I've been traveling for thirteen hours," he says softly. "I didn't even think anything of it."

"It only takes six and a half hours to fly here to there, Gale. Why did it take thirteen hours?"

"Oh, my flight had a layover and I had to wait a few hours before it actually took off. And you know how much I hate airport food." That makes me laugh a little and I have to burry my face into the pillow for a second.

"I told you to eat before you left," I laugh. "You still can't listen to me can you?"

"Well I didn't exactly expect to have to wait that long," he chuckles softly. "And I do too listen to you. You're such a trouble maker." I scoff.

"Right, okay. Whatever you say." I mumble, my eyes closing heavy with sleep. "Look, I'm glad you made it there safely, but it's three in the morning, and I'm tired. So I'm going to bed," I say.

"Okay, goodnight Katniss. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Night, Gale."

* * *

I finally make it to Avery's school, pulling into the parking lot. Peeta told me that he doesn't like to wait in the car line, so he goes in to get him from the office. I park and get out, walking over to the back seat and unbuckling Maria from her carseat.

"Come on, let's go get Avery," I say to her, pulling her from her seat.

I walk up to the door and open it, walking up to the little window in the office.

"How may I help you?" The woman asks.

"I'm here to pick up Avery Mellark," I say, shifting Maria to my hip. "His father told me to come to the office after school."

"Yes, let me go get him for you." She disappears fro a few minutes, and I stand, looking around the room. Seconds later, a door beside the window opens, and I see Avery fast walking down the hallway.

"Katniss!" he yells, hoisting his backpack straps further up onto his shoulders. "You came!"

"I did! You ready to go?" I ask, and he shakes his head, running out ahead of me and running to my car. Once everyone is in and buckled, I climb in and turn around in my seat.

"Hey," I whisper. "Do you want some ice-cream?" I ask him, watching his face brighten into a wide smile.

"Yes!" He exclaims.

"Okay, well, don't tell your dad," I say, bringing my finger to my lips. "It'll be our little secret."

* * *

When we pull up to Peeta's home, there's another car in the driveway other than Peeta's. I sigh, because I know full well who it is. I pull onto the curb, parking behind the brick mailbox.

"Alright, let's go," I tell him, getting out and opening the door for him. He limbs out and grabs his backpack from the floor boards.

"Katniss?" he asks, looking up to me as I lift Maria out of her seat. "Do we have to go in right now? That's mommy's car," he says, looking down and kicking a rock from the street. "They might be fighting again."

My heart clenches at his words, and a sort of sadness fills me. It's really upsetting seeing a child upset about their parents fight. It's even more upsetting thinking about how much he's actually heard them fight with each other.

"It's okay," I say, reaching down and ruffling his hair. "I'll be with you, okay?"

"Okay," he mumbles, following behind me as we walk up to the door. He hides behind me when I push through the door, walking into what sounds like a war zone.

"Are you fucking serious, Peeta? You can't do that!" I look behind me at Avery, who's palms are tightly clamped over his ears, his eyes squeezed shut.

I walk further into the house, shifting Maria to my left hip as Avery reaches up and grasps my shirt in his hands, still hiding behind me. I follow the sounds of the voices to the kitchen.

"I can do-" Peeta stops himself when he sees us walk into the room, Avery trailing behind me, still holding onto me. His eyes widen slightly and he walks around the counter, walking over to me and leaning in close to my ear.

"Can you take him up to his room? I'm really sorry, I have to take care of a few things," he whispers, and I nod my head. My eyes flicker over to his ex wife, leaning her back against the fridge with her arms crossed angrily against her chest. Her icy stare bores a hole into mine, and I have to force myself to look away. "Thank you so much," he says.

"Come on," I whisper, pushing Avery ahead of me. I follow him up the stair and into his room. I quietly shut the door behind me and go sit on the bed next to him.

"Are you okay?" I ask him. Avery sits with his head in his hand, his feet swinging off the edge of the bed. "You want to talk about it?"

"I feel a little sad," he mutters, and it's then that I notice the tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. I set Maria on my lap and pull Avery into my side, gently running my fingers through his blonde curls.

I let him bury his face into my shirt and I hold him close, letting him cry. We sit that for a while until I see Maria start to drift off to sleep.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I tell him, hoisting Maria up and walking down the hall to Peeta's room and placing her in the middle of the bed again, pulling pillows from the top and making a wall around her. I quickly grab the monitor from his nightstand and walk back into Avery's room, where I find him laying down with his head buried in his pillow.

"Hey," I say, walking over to him and sitting down on the bed, reaching out and rolling him over to face me. His eyes are still watery, and his cheeks are wet. "Come here." I pull him into my lap and rock him gently, running my fingers through his hair. "Let it out."

"I just wish mommy wouldn't yell so much," he says, taking a deep breath. "It hurts my daddy's feelings." I continue to rock him, telling him it's going to be okay. I can feel him start to calm down, his breathing beginning to even out slightly.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispers, and I smile. "I really like you. So does my daddy," he says, yawning.

There's a knock at the door and it swings open, and Peeta stands leaning against the door frame. He gives me a warm smile when he sees Avery sitting in my lap, holding on to me, almost asleep.

"What's going on in here?" he asks, coming to sit down next to me on the bed. I catch the way he hits his knee against mine a few times. "You okay?"

"I think maybe you should be asking him that," I whisper, nodding down at Avery, who's eyes keep drifting shut. "He's really upset."

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know she was going to be here," he says softly, reaching out and running his hand through Avery's hair. Avery shifts slightly in my lap, but down lift his head from my chest. "He really like you, you know."

"I know," I whisper. "And apparently so do you." This makes Peeta quirk his eyebrows, and I can watch him fight a smile.

"What?"

"He told me that you like me, but I don't think I was supposed to say anything." His eyes go wide, but his face finally settles into a smile.

"I guess the cats out of the bag with that, then," he smirks, elbowing me in the side. I jump, causing Avery to lift his head, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey Ave," Peeta says softly. "You okay?" He doesn't say anything, but crawls out of my lap and into Peeta's, wrapping his arms around his neck. Peeta sighs and hugs him close to him.

"I'm sorry, Ave," he whispers, rubbing up and down his back. "I didn't mean for you to se that."

"S'okay dad," he says, yawning. And as if on cue, I hear Maria's cries coming through the monitor. I sigh, standing up from the bed. Peeta catches my hand before I get the chance to walk away.

"Will you stay?" he asks. "You don't have to leave yet. Stay for dinner."

"Okay," I say, and he lets go of my hand. "I'll stay."

* * *

"Hey Katniss, come here and help me with this." I turn around from putting Maria in Avery's old high chair and walk over to the stove. "Here, taste this." Peeta holds up a spoon of sauce and lifts it to my mouth.

"Wow, that's amazing," I say. He reaches out and runs his thumb along my bottom lip, catching the excess sauce from dripping. "What did you put in this?"

"Ah," he laughs, holding up his hand. "A great chef never reveals his secrets." I laugh lightly and bat my eyelashes innocently.

"What, you won't even tell me?"

"Maybe some day," he says, turning his attention back to the stove. "But how do I know I can trust you?"

"Ouch that hurt."

"So sorry, but I'm not telling you anything." He winks at me and I roll my eyes.

"You're ridiculous," I scoff, walking over to him and leaning over the pot. "Do you ever cook anything besides Spaghetti?" He laughs and hovers behind me. I can feel the heat radiating from him and he stands closer to me.

"We had Spaghetti the first time you were here, I just thought maybe I could make it again," he says quietly, leaning in close to my ear. His hot breath tickles my neck when he begins to speak. "By the way, Avery wasn't lying. I do like you."

* * *

_Hey, so I know this is a shorter chapter, but I wanted to end it here. I'm really excited to FINALLY get some Everlark. Like i've been itching to get it into this story! Watch out tomorrow because I'll probably be updating again since there'll be no school again. It's be hopefully a longer chapter, so yay for that!  
_

_Also, I'm going to be posting a new story sometime soon. I've been working on it for a while, and I'm really excited to get it on here for you all to read. I hope you like it as well, and yes, it's Everlark. I promise, no Gale this time._

_I hope you enjoyed!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! I was supposed to upload this earlier in the week, but we've had such bad weather conditions, and our internet was knocked out for a few days. But it's back now, so here's the next chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"You sure you can do this, Prim? Because if not I can just call Peeta back and-"

"Kanitss, really? I'll be fine- I do this all the time, remember?" Prim says, reaching for Maria and taking her from me and setting her down in her crib. "I work with babies at the hospital all day, I think I can handle a couple of hours with a six month old."

"If you're sure…" I cross my arms against my chest and release a heavy sigh.

"I'm sure," she says, her smile suddenly broadening. "Now come on, let's get you dressed."

Peeta and I are going on a date tonight. I don't know if you could consider this our first date, considering we went on a few before Maria was born, but this is different. At least, it feels different.

He didn't want to be cliche' and eat at his own restaurant, so he said he's just going to surprise me.

"You do realize that I'm making you wear a dress, right?" I walk into my closet and find Prim quickly sifting through my closet. I watch as she plucks a black longsleeved dress from the top rack. "Here, try this on."

"Prim…I don't-"

"Don't argue with me. You're wearing a dress." She shoves the dress into my hands and walks past me out of the closet. "Now try it on."

I roll my eyes and shut the door, turning around and facing the mirror that's hung up on the wall. I take a deep breath before stripping down and pulling the dress down and over my head. It's a little snug, considering I bought it before I got pregnant, but if anything, it fits better now that I've developed at least some types of figure.

I run my hands down my waist, smoothing it down along my belly, and turn to the side. I smile because I actually don't look bad. And it doesn't hurt that the dress has longsleeves- I may not even have to wear a jacket. But I should probably wear stockings, for it only falls a little above my knees.

"Prim?" I open the door and step out of the closet, letting my arms dangle loosely at my sides as I stand there awkwardly, waiting for her to look me over. "Is this okay?"

"Oh Katniss…" she whispers, bringing her hands to her mouth. "You look so pretty!"

"Are you sure? Because i can always-"

"Shut it. You're wearing it."

She quickly shoves me down into the seat in front of my vanity and starts brushing out my hair. "I was just going to braid it."

"Nope, not tonight," Prim declares, reaching under the vanity and pulling out a curling iron. "Tonight- you're letting me doll you up. This is a date, Katniss, not a day at the park."

I scoff and roll my eyes at her ridiculous behaviour. "You're being crazy, it's just Peeta, prim. It's probably not even a big deal. We're probably just going to get something to eat and then go back to his house or something." I watch her expression change in the mirror, and I can't help but feel like she knows something.

Once she's done curling my hair, it falls in loose waves down to the middle of my back. I watch as she circles me once before reaching into the drawer of the vanity and pulls out my makeup bag.

"Prim-"

"Shh." I groan and she readily applies foundation and powder, adding a little bit of blush to my cheeks. She works quickly, as it's almost time for Peeta to get here, and applies just a little bit of eyeliner; topping it off with mascara on my top and bottom lashes.

"Put these on," Prim hands me a pair of black stockings and I quickly step into them. "Wear these tonight." I turn around and see her holding out a pair of black heels towards me. I narrow my eyes before pushing them away.

"No way. Now way in hell am I wearing heels."

"Yes, yes you are. Now hurry up before he gets here!"

"I hate you sometimes," I groan, but put the heels on anyways. I grab my light grey P coat, throwing it on. I stand in front of the mirror and fluff my hair, smiling at myself.

I look good.

As if right on cue, the doorbell rings, and Prim jumps up from the edge of the bed and bounds towards the door. "Prim!" I yell, signaling for her to stop. "I want to answer it."

I hastily make my way down the stairs- making an extra effort not to trip- and walk to the front door. I take a deep breath and count to three before opening it.

"Hey Ka-" Peeta stops then, his breath catching in in his throat. I waver in place, feeling a bit uncomfortable as his eyes skim over my body. He smiles, then, pulling out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "For you."

I find myself looking him over as well. He's wearing a well tailored grey suit, a white button down underneath. His usually messy curls are now combed back, and styled. And I can't fight the smile that break out on my face at the sight of him, my heart fluttering when I think about how sweet it is he got me flowers.

Daffodils. "Thank you," I smile, taking them from his hands and involuntarily sniffing them. His face breaks out into a wide smile, and I can't help the immediate warmth that floods my body. "Um...come in, come in." I open the door enough for him to step inside, and I turn around when I hear Prim creaking down the stairs with Maria.

"Peeta, you've met my sister, Prim," I say, waving her over. "She happily volunteered to babysit for me tonight."

"Thank you so much, Prim." Peeta's smooth charm radiates from him and I can't fight the smile that breaks out on my lips. "Are you ready to go?" he asks.

"Oh, yeah," I fumble around in my purse until I find what I was looking for. "This is the emergency panic button. You shouldn't need it, but just in case, here." I had the remote to Prim and lean over, kissing Maria on the forehead. "I'll be back."

Peeta leads me out, holding a hand on my lower back. What nerves I had before are now long gone, as the steadiness he brings relaxes me greatly. He opens the door for me and shuts it, walking around to the drivers side and climbing in.

"So, are you going to tell me where we are going, or are you just going to let me sit here bugging you the entire way there?"

"I think I'm going to let you bug me," he says with a smile, his blue eyes twinkling in the light of the moon. He reaches a hand and holds my jaw, running his thumb along it. "It's a surprise."

The drive through downtown Seattle isn't bad; the streets are considerably empty, not as busy as usual. Although there's no denying that there's still quite the hustle and bustle.

I stare out the window; Lake Union's waters shimmering in the distance. I've always felt a calming take me over around water; it reminds me of when I was a child and when our father would take us swimming. There's no denying the beauty of it.

My breath hitches in my throat once Peeta pulls onto Aurora Avenue, and I can't help but turn towards him, smiling.

_Canali's_ is one of the nicest restaurants in Seattle. From the inside, you can have a direct view over Lake Union, and it's sure to be even more beautiful at night.

Peeta pulls into the parking lot and parks as close to the door as he can get- which isn't very close. I got to open the door but he stops me, quickly getting out and running around to my side, opening the door for me.

"After you," he ushers, holding his hand out for me to take. I place my hand in his and he helps me up. "You look beautiful tonight, by the way." I turn my head away to hide the blush I'm most certainly sporting.

"Thank you," I say, looking back at him.

We walk together into the building, his hand firmly pressed against my back again. We're immediately greeted by a blonde woman with wide blue eyes. "Hello, I'm Bristol. Do you have a reservation for tonight?"

"Yes, I have a reservation for Peeta Mellark." The woman flips through a little book on the podium, dragging her finger along the lines until she spots his name.

"Ah, here we go. Peeta Mellark." The woman- Bristol- smiles up at us and waves us forward. "Right this way."

She seats us right at one of the large window overlooking Lake Union, and I smile to myself. Peeta pulls out my chair for me and I quietly thank him before sitting down.

"Your server will be right with you." Peeta nods deftly, and she walks away after handing us the menus. A calming silence falls over us, but when I look back up, Peeta's eyes quickly flicker away from mine; I've caught him staring.

"What?" I ask.

Peeta blinks a few times before his cheeks tinge a light pink. "What?"

"You were staring." I say, and he gives me a shy smile that sends a warm heat flooding my cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He picks up his menu and begins turning through the pages.

"Don't be."

Once we finish our food- I ordered the tomato soup with Rye bread, which was delicious- Peeta takes one of my hands above the table and runs his thumb along my knuckles.

"I'm really glad you agreed to come out with me tonight," he says, staring past me out the window.

"I'm really glad you asked me to come out. I've really had a good time, Peeta." He smiles at that and gives my hand a little squeeze.

"You really do look beautiful tonight." I subconsciously turn my head away, tucking a piece of hair behind my ears.

"Thank you." I smile.

"You should wear your hair down more often," he says. "It suits you."

"Thank you. It's just so much easier to throw it into a braid in the morning. I don't find a lot of time in my day to really do anything with it." I say, and I feel an ache in my chest at the thought of Maria being away from me.

"That's right," he sighs, and I feel hit foot tap against my leg underneath the table. "So, how's mommy life treating you?"

"It's kicking me in the ass," I say a little too loudly. "Sorry, uh...it's...it's rewarding, to say the least." Another wave of sadness passes over me. I really miss her, and i've only been gone an hour. "I love it."

"I'm really happy to hear that," he whispers, his lips lifting in an all too knowing half smile. "I remember how hard it was with Avery when he was that little."

Something like longing passes through his eyes, and I'm the one who squeezes his hand this time.

"I forgot, um...you practically raised him by yourself as well."

"Yeah, but it wasn't that bad," he says, giving me a reassuring smile. "It was nice. Getting him all to myself, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." I smile at the thought of Peeta with Avery as a baby, rocking him and singing to him. It almost hurts to think about, but I smile anyways. "He's a really good kid. You've done a really good job raising him."

"Thank you. You know, I try my best to keep him disciplined. But...I don't...I don't really have to do that much. I don't like to if I don't have to." I feel a tremor run through his hand, and it shakes slightly in mine.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's nothing." He looks away, pulling his hand from mine. "You ready to leave?" I nod my head and he takes my hand, and we walk together out the door after the check is paid for.

It's gotten considerably colder outside, and I pull my coat on, buttoning it to almost the top. Once we reach his car, he stops me before I get a chance to open the door. His arm snakes around me from behind and he spins me in his arms, pulling me to him.

His face hovers just inches from mine, and I can feel his breath against my nose. "Can I ask you something?" His hand reaches up to swipe the hair out of my face gently. I nod, not being able to focus on much other than his close proximity, and the sudden aching desire deep in my belly.

"Can I kiss you?" he asks, stepping a little closer and pulling me gently against him. I hesitate, my heart thumping erratically in my chest.

"I think…" I start, looking up and into his eyes. "I'll allow it."

He smiles then, winding his hand to the back of my neck and pulling me towards him, his lips lightly brushing against mine in a tender kiss. I take a quick intake of breath at the contact, and the sudden surge that seems to shoot through the both of us. He pulls away, eyes gleaming.

"Okay?" he asks, resting his forehead against mine. I nod my head vehemently.

"Okay." It's me who pulls him down to me this time, and I sigh as his tongue slips past my lips, parting them and traveling along the seam of my bottom lip. I curl my fingers into his hair, surely messing up it's perfect style. I'm sure he won't mind.

His steady hands move from my back to my waist, anchoring me to him. I'm positive that if he wasn't holding me so close, I would surely melt onto the ground. It would be seemingly impossible to get any closer, our bodies pressed together tightly.

His fingers dig into my hips and he involuntarily shift forward against me. Peeta pulls away, then, breathing heavily. My hands are shaking as I run them down his neck before gripping onto the collar of his jacket.

"So...does this mean I can officially ask you out?" his voice is timid, and his shy smile causes something to stir deep inside of me.

"I don't know, Peeta...I-" he silences me with his lips, but only for a brief moment.

"Katniss, I really like you. And I don't know about you, but I'm ready to take that next step with you," he whispers, reaching up and running his thumb along my jaw. "So please...be with me."

I hesitate for a long moment, the quietness around us seems to thicken in the worst way. But then I look up at him and can't help nod my head. "Okay…" I whisper. "I'll go out with you." I smile dumbly at the thought of feeling like such a teenager right now.

"Thank you," he whispers, and I drop my head to his chest, inhaling his scent, which is richly cinnamon and dill.

"You're welcome, Peeta."

* * *

**Phew, what a chapter! I'm so happy to finally be able to bring Everlark into this for good! And I have good news, it's all Everlark from here on out. Yay!**

**I hope you enjoyed!**

**Leave me a review, maybe tell me what you thought, or what you think should happen in the next chapter!**


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N**: Hey guys! Another chapter. I'm glad we're finally moving along!_

* * *

I shift Maria onto my hip so to free up my right hand, allowing me to knock loudly on Peeta's front door. It's an incredibly sunny October morning. There's a slight chill when the wind blows, but other than that, it's rather warm outside. The sun beats down on my back and I wait for Peeta to answer the door.

It swings open seconds later, greeting me with a smile and a small kiss to my cheek. "Hey, you," he says, stepping aside and allowing me to step in. I look up just in time to see Avery bounding down the upstairs hall and around the corner.

"Katniss!" he yells, taking two steps at a time in order to reach me. Peeta takes Maria from my arms right before Avery jumps into my now open arms. I crouch down to my knees, and he wraps his arms around my neck. "I'm so happy to see you! I was hopin' you could play with me today," he says with a wide grin.

"Well," I start, putting my hands on my hips dramatically. "What would you like to do, little man?"

He raises his arms in the air and jumps up. "Well first I was thinkin' we could play outside on the swing set. We could play lava!" he exclaims, his voice hitting a frequency so high you would think it could shatter glass. "It's where ya have to climb on the jungle gym and keep from touchin' the ground— or the lava!"

"Ohh, sounds fun?" I say, directing my eyes towards Peeta's. He just gives me an incredulous look while bounding Maria on his hip.

"Ave, we're gonna go eat first, though, okay?" Peeta says, and I stand up, holding my arms out for Maria. He hands her to me, and leans over me to get Avery's coat from the coat rack by the door. "Remember what I told you last night? About being on your best behavior?"

"Uh, yes daddy." Avery nods his head and sticks his arms into the jacket that Peeta is holding open for him. "We're gonna go see Johanna right?" he smiles, his cherubic grin spreading across his cheeks.

"Yes," Peeta chuckles lights before giving him a solid pat on the back. "Let's go."

* * *

Peeta pulls into the parking lot of Mason's, the first place he took be on a "date". I can't say that it's my favorite place, but it brings Peeta happiness, and I can see it. So I'm sure I'll learn to come to about it. I can't explain it, but it does seem to have an undeniable charm.

"Out ya go," Peeta mumbles to himself as he helps Avery from his booster seat. I unbuckle Maria and put her in her mobile seat. Almost seven months old and she's heavier than ever. "You ready?" he asks me, and I nod my head, walking in behind him.

We're immidiately greeted by the same man as last time, assumably the owner. "Peeta, my boy!" The man makes a show of slapping Peeta on the back, a large smile plastered across his face.

"Mark," Peeta smiles, lightly holding the mans shoulder. He looks to me, and a nervous feeling of dread sinks to the bottom of my stomach. "This is Katniss—" he says, giving me a lopsided smile. I'm grateful that he's avoided using a relationship status. "—and this is Maria."

Mark looks me over with a smile, but doesn't give me any indication that he's confused. Instead, he throws his hand out in front of him for me to shake. "Hi, I'm Mark. I'm sure Peeta's told you all about me," he laughs, and Peeta rolls his eyes. "Welcome, and— congratulations on the little one."

"Uh, thank you," I fumble on my words at first, but I smile nonetheless.

"Go ahead and seat yourselves, Johanna will be right with you— you know the drill." Mark gives us a wave before disappearing to the back of the diner. I follow Peeta to a small booth near the back, and scoot in towards the window. Aver sits directly in front of me, and Peeta slides in next to him. I set Maria's seat facing me in the booth, and her little legs kick at the blankets, smiling widely as I make silly faces at her.

When I feel like I'm being watching, I turn my head and meet Peeta's stare, his eyes twinkly with adoration and his mouth is curved into a small smile. "What?" I ask, feeling suddenly and completely ridiculous. He just shakes his head and smiles even wider— if that was even possible.

"Nothin', you're just incredibly cute," he says simply, kicking my leg under the table. "You're so—"

"Hey there—" we both turn and find Johanna staring at us intently, note pad in hand. "—Peet, you gonna to introduce me?" Peeta just stares at her, a confused expression on his face. "I know, I know. You've obviously brought her once before—" she says, jabbing her pen towards me. "—but you haven't formally introduced me." Johanna sets a coloring paper down in front of Avery, and a fresh pack of crayons, which he immediately takes control of, clocking out of our conversation.

"Oh, um…Johanna, this is Katniss. Katniss, this is Johanna," he says, holding his hand out towards me. I give her a friendly smile, and she returns it before turning back to Peeta. They share a momentary place full of something that I can't quite place, but it rouses a feeling of something inside of me. Making me feel as if I'm being left out of something.

She turns her head back towards me, as if sensing I feel output. "Haven't seen this kid smile so much for as long as i can remember," she states, giving him a warm smile. "Glad to have ya back—what can I get ya?"

Peeta orders what I'm assuming he's ordered for years, and Avery gets a kids egg platter. I opt for a serving of eggs with a side of oatmeal—Maria might enjoy that.

"Alrighty, I'll be back in a flash." And before I know it, she's gone. I look to Peeta with my eyebrows raised, and he takes a deep breath, as if knowing what I want to know.

"I guess you could say it's been a little tense around here lately," he starts, linking his fingers together on top of the table. I bounce my knee nervously underneath. "This is ah—maybe I can explain it a little later?" He nods towards Avery, and I understand that this probably isn't a conversation that we should be having around him. As if sensing we are talking about him, Avery looks up from his paper, setting down the red crayon in his hand.

"What?" he ask, narrowing his eyes at the both of us, turning his head towards Peeta, and then across the table at me. "Are ya'll sharin' secrets?"

"No," Peeta laughs. "Just talking grown up stuff, nothin' you would be interested in, bud." Avery crosses his arms over his chest dramatically and takes a big, deep breath.

"I'm a grown up too, dad," he demands, and Peeta just look at me with a bewildered expression crossing his face. "You think I'm justa little kid, but I made an A on my spelling test at school yesterday. So I'm smart."

"Yes, you are very smart, Ave's. But that doesn't mean you're a grown up. You're still a child. And sometimes—sometimes grown ups have to talk about grown up things." Avery looks up at his father, a more questionable glint filling his eyes.

"You mean grown up stuff like…Like why you and mommy fight lots?" I watch Peeta visibly tense, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Knots fill my stomach, but Peeta doesn't look at me; instead, gently rubs his hands along his face before turning in the booth to face Avery.

"Look, bud. I promise I'll talk to you about this stuff later, okay? But right now, let's just enjoy our breakfast," he says, smiling down at him. "And then maybe…maybe I'll take you to the park, and that way Katniss can play with you on the swings—sound like a plan?" Avery nods enthusiastically and bounces slightly in his seat.

"Sounds like a plan, dad," Avery says, patting Peeta on the shoulder.

I can't help but watch the simple interaction unfold before my eyes, smiling internally at the way they both seem to be so much a like. It makes warmth flood my entire body, and I meet Peeta's watchful eyes from across the table. He smiles at me simply, nodding his head as if he knows what I'm thinking.

Yeah…I could get used to this.

* * *

"Katniss watch out! Don't fall into the lava!" Avery screams, stepping from one swing to the other, almost losing his balance and falling into the "lava".

After breakfast, Peeta drove us all back to his house, where we proceeded to walk to the small park located in the heart of his neighborhood. Parent's lounge everywhere from park benches to picnic tables, children running amuck around the expanse of the winding, intricate jungle gym.

Peeta sit's on a nearby bench, bouncing a very happy Maria in his lap. My heart soars at the sight.

I turn back to face Avery before stepping onto the pedestal that leads to a long bridge connecting one end of the jungle gym to the other. Avery is at the far side, farthest from me, jumping from one swing to another. My breath catches in my throat when I see him almost topple the whole five feet to the ground, but he gains his balance and continues on.

"I'm gonna get you!" I scream, racing to the end of the bridge and meeting his at the swings.

"No! Stay away, you monster!" he yells, gripping the chains tighter as he turns his head around to meet my now crazy eyes. I fake snarl at him before stepping onto the first swing, making him think I'm going to lunge for him. "No!"

"I'm going to get you! You better escape!—But don't fall into the lava!" I ignore the obvious stares from the parents around us, surely annoyed that I'm hogging half the swing set. But I don't care, I'm having fun for once. "You better hurry!"

"No!" he screams again, stepping onto the last swing. Finally, he jumps onto the solid platform on the jungle gym, raising his arms in victory. "I win!" I shake my head and step back onto the ground. I'm completely wore out.

"Okay Avery, I'm gonna go sit down for a little bit, you go play with the other kids." He gives me one hard nod before dashing up the steps and onto the bridge. I walk over to where Peeta resides on the bench and plop down next to him, exhausted.

"So, he gave you a pretty good work out, didn't he?" he asks, laughing slightly at my heavy breathing, and disheveled hair. I nod my head and reach for Maria, who holds her arms out for me as I pull her into my lap. I smooth down the dark hair on the top of her head and rest my cheek against the back of her head, closing my eyes. I sigh, trying to slow down my breathing.

"Enjoying yourself so far?" I open my eyes and peer at him sideways before lifting my head from Maria's.

"Yeah, thank you. It's been really nice getting out of the house. You'd think I'd love being alone…but I really enjoy having some company," I say, and he smiles at me widely, as if he couldn't expect a more perfect answer. "And if I'm being honest? I'm just glad to have someone to talk to. It's been pretty lonely…so yeah. Thank you." He nods his head.

"I'm really glad Avery likes you. He's normally really shy—and of course you wouldn't guess that by the way he's so enthusiastic whenever you come over—but he's usually a really quiet kid."

"He's a good kid," I reply, and he seems to grin ear to ear. "He really is. He's incredibly sweet, and charming, and how could I forget hansom? He's so hansom," I add, and a tinge of pink flushes his cheeks. "And he has a persona that's so distinctly you, you know that? He's a good boy."

"Thank you, I like to think I did pretty well for raising him all on my own. And it doesn't hurt that he's pretty good at basketball," I laugh at this as he continues. "And it wouldn't hurt if he followed in my footsteps as top scoring player at Ballard." This takes me back.

"Wait…Ballard? You went to Ballard High School?" I ask, staring at him incredulously. He nods his head slowly, as if he's trying to figure me out. I shake my head and adjust Maria in my lap. "Peeta— I went to Ballard." His eyes widen in surprise.

"What? No way. I would have remembered you!" he exclaims, turning more to face me. "Are you sure? I graduated—"

"— seven years ago," we both say at the same time. I narrow y eyes. "Are you sure?"

"I can't believe we graduated together, but don't even— oh my god." I stare at him, eyes wide.

"What?"

"I remember you now!" he says, holding his hands towards me. "Katniss Everdeen? Valedictorian?" he asks, and I shake my head awkwardly. "How did I not remember you? You were like…the smartest student in the entire school."

"Well, I wouldn't say smartest, but—"

"Are you kidding me, Katniss? You plaque is in the middle of the hallway now. You've had the overall highest scores in Ballard history. Still are, I've seen it."

"You're lying," I say, rolling my eyes.

"I'm not! My friend Finnick is the swim coach there, and I occasionally pick his son up— Avery's friend Finn?— from there. Your plaque is still on the wall." He says.

"Huh. I had no idea," I state truthfully. "Didn't really think much of it I don't guess."

"Where'd you end up, anyways? With a brain like that, you should be curing diseases by now." I tuck my chin into my chest bashfully.

"I didn't go far. I went to Central, got a degree in Nursing, and haven't even used it," I say.

"Really? Why?"

"Gale's a lawyer. And as soon as we graduated college, we got married and moved in together. He didn't really think I needed to work— he could support us— and I didn't argue. Although I miss it, you know? Working. But I love being a mother to Maria as well." His eyes soften and he smiles at me, reaching out and rubs my knee.

"I still can't believe—" Peeta's voice is cut off by a recognizable scream, and we both turn our heads just in time to watch Avery fall from the bridge, ten feet to the ground.

* * *

"So his shoulder was dislocated here—" the doctor assessing Avery's injuries talks to us quietly while Avery sleeps in the hospital bed, his arm tucked agains this chest, the large blue cast winding from his wrist to his upper arm. "—And the bones on the entire right arm were shattered. We were able to relocate his shoulder, but unfortunately, his arm will be severely damaged for a while, even after his cast is removed." Peeta tightens his grip on my hand. I don't mind.

"He'll have to undergo several weeks of physical therapy in order to regain full use of that arm again. But don't be too discouraged, Avery should be fine within the next six months or so—give or take for the physical therapy." Peeta and I nod out heads together, and I squeeze his hand back.

"Okay, thank you so much." Peeta unlinks his hand from mine to shake the doctors hand before the doctor leaves the room, leaving Peeta and I to ourselves with a sleeping Avery.

"I'm really sorry," I whisper, pulling him into a hug. He rests his head on my shoulder and I wrap my arms around his torso. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," he mumbles, his voice muffled by my shoulder. "I'm just glad you're here." His head lifts to hover inches from mine, our eyes locking. "The doctor say Avery will be fine," he takes a deep breath before stepping away from me and walking to sit beside Avery in a chair beside the bed. "It could have been a lot worse, but at least he'll still be able to use his arm." He laughs slightly, and i raise my eyebrows.

"What?" I ask, puling a chair to sit next to him.

"It's just— we were just talking about him playing basketball. It just all seems kind of funny how the world seems to work."

"The world works in mysterious ways, Peeta," I whisper, leaning my head on his shoulder. He takes my hand in his and huns his thumb along my knuckles. "I guess the odds just weren't in his favor today."

* * *

_**A/N**: Ouch, I know. Poor Avery! But don't worry, I could never hurt the little guy too much._

_And do you like how I finally am starting to tie everything together? I told you things would start making sense soon! Do you think it's crazy how they went to high-school together and didn't even remember?_

_Anyways, carry on beautiful people! And leave a review, they're always appreciated!_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N**: Hey guys, I've been itching to write this chapter, but I've had a bit of a delay. I got a job! Also, I've been super busy with trying to save money so I can move out and finally be on my own, and hopefully that will happen for me soon. If your'e still here, thanks for sticking with it! I know it's only been a couple of moths, but still, I don't like going that long without updating, so I'm so sorry._

_I've actually had this written for a while, but I decided to add a little bit to the end, and revise it as much as possible. I really wanted to get it up tonight, so here you go! Surprise!_

* * *

"Are you excited?" I ask Maria as I push my way into Peeta's home. He's told me that he doesn't mind for me to just walk in— I didn't argue.

It's Halloween, and since I'm the least creative person that I know, Maria is a pumpkin. I know, 'how original', but she's cute. I've got her dressed in an orange dress with a pumpkin face on the front of it, with black tights and little black shoes. What can I say, she's my little pumpkin.

I lightly shut the door behind me and walk further into the house, but there's nobody in sight.

"Peeta?" I call out, rounding my way into the kitchen. Nothing. So I creep my way through the living room; nothing. "Hello? I know you're here! Your car is—"

"Rawrrr!" I jump, clutching Maria to me as I spin around. Peeta and Avery jump out from behind the door to the study, growling at me with their arms raised. Their faces are covered in what I'm guessing to be fake blood and dirt, their clothes tattered and torn. Avery's blue cast sticks out like a sore thumb, but they've done their best to cover it up with cloth.

I must seem like a deer in the headlights, and I look down at Maria and am surprised to find her giggling.

"We scared you Katniss!" Avery yells, throwing his head back in laughter. Peeta walks over to me and places a soft kiss on my lips.

"Definitely not my idea," he feigns innocence, but I slap him on the shoulder. "I swear!"

"You've got 'guilty' written all over your face," I say, pointing at him. "You're not going to get away with it that easily." His face turns slightly more serious as his eyes flicker with something I can't quite place.

But soon enough, he inhales and laughs, reaching out and taking Maria from my arms. "Come on little woman, let's get you all situated here." I follow Peeta into the kitchen where he sets Maria in a high chair before turning to me.

"Now, what are you supposed to be?" I look down my my clothes, just black leggings, flats, and a simple black long sleeved shirt. I slowly reach into Maria's diaper bag slung across my shoulder, and pull out a pair of cat ears. I put them on my head and give him a cheesy smile.

"I'm a cat, get it?" Peeta instantly breaks out into laughter, leaning down and grabbing his knees. Avery walks in and gives us both a confused look.

"What's so funny, daddy?" I turn to Avery and post at my cat ears. I watch the gears turn in his head before he points at me and giggles himself. "Oh I get it! You're a cat, like Katniss!" I shake my head and the laughing duo in front of me.

"I-I'm sorry Katniss, but you really aren't that creative, are you?" Peeta asks, standing back up and wiping fake tears from his eyes. "It's okay, I'll teach you my ways."

"Oh, like being a zombie is so creative," I scoff, throwing my hands in the air.

"Oh don't be bitter just because our costumes are better than yours, Katniss." Peeta's arm snakes around my waist and I swat at it playfully. He raises his eyesbrows and mouthes "what?" but I just shake my head and laugh.

"You're ridiculous."

"Maybe," he lifts his shoulders dramatically before walking over and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. He lifts his free hand to tap at the cat ears on the top of my head, and I roll my eyes when nuzzles his cheek against my hair.

"Stop that," I roll me eyes and swat his hand away when he starts pulling at the ears. "Are you a child?"

"Meh," is his only response.

I shove him away from me gently before kneeling down in front of Avery, who's looking through one of the bottom shelves of the fridge. "Hey Aves?" he turns around, wielding an apple in hand. "How you feelin?" I ask, reaching out and tapping his cast lightly.

"S'okay I guess, but I dunno how I'm supposed to carry all of my candy with just one arm," his face falls. I reach out and ruffle his hair.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." His whole face lights up immediately.

"Really, Katniss?" His smile makes me heart melt, and I look behind me to see Peeta smiling down at the both of us.

"Yeah, really," I say, standing back up. "Now, with that being said…are you ready to go?" This seems to spark something in him, because as soon as the words leave my mouth, he throws the apple onto the counter, forgotten, and darts out of the room and up the stairs.

I turn to Peeta. "He seems pretty excited, don't ya think?" I ask. He just nods his head and pulls me to him, pressing a soft kiss to my lips— I don't argue. I sign against his mouth, leaning into his touch. I could stay like this forever.

But just as soon as he kisses me, he pulls away. "Stay with me tonight."

I blink a few times. "What?" I ask, making sure I heard correctly.

"I said— stay with me tonight?" His eyes are gleaming against the fluorescent lights of the kitchen, his lingering touch on my arms inviting. "Please?"

"I don't know, Peeta, I—" I'm cut off when his lips seal with mine once more, and I'm reduced to buddy in his hands. And when he pulls away, all I can do is bite my bottom lip, worrying it between my teeth. "I'll think about it. Think about it. I'm not giving you a definite answer right away." His eyes brighten, and that beautiful smile graces his lips.

"That's all I ask," he whispers, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Daddy!" We both turn around quickly, just in time to see Avery bounding back into the room with his candy bag dangling from his good hand." Are we ready to go? I'm so excited!"

"Yes, Avery, we're ready." Peeta rolls his eyes and walks past me to grab his phone from the counter. "Well what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

"I'm really glad you could make it today," Peeta nudges his shoulder against mine, and we both watch as Avery takes off ahead of us, dashing up the driveway of one of the last houses on his street. I give him a smile.

"Me too, I've had a lot of fun," I laugh, shoving his shoulder back. "Plus, now I've got enough candy to survive the zombie apocalypse." I raise my bag of candy from the stroller. Peeta throws his head back in a hearty laugh. "Seeing it's just right around the corner. I mean, ever you're infected now."

"That's right," he says, his tone becoming jokingly serious, his eyes looking dark against the setting sun. "And you're my next victim!" I stop dead in my tracks and put the stopper on Maria's stroller just before Peeta jumps in front of me, his hands raised as claws.

To say I shriek would be an understatement. Because I quite literally shriek, my hands flying up to cover my face. But when I remove them, Peeta's face is lit up with a bright smile, and let my hands fall to my sides before lifting one hand and slapping his chest.

"Jerk!" I scream, but we both break out into a laughing fit.

"Oh come on," he says, his voice smooth. "Relax, Kitty-Kat." He makes a point of tapping the cat ears atop my head before leaning against the stroller with a smug grin. I scowl.

"Turn that frown upside down, missy! Look at all the candy we have!" He dips his hand dramatically into the bag, and when he lifts his hand, a pile of candy pools to the ground through his fingers. I roll my eyes and go to pick up the stray pieces. "And guess what we get to do tonight?"

I raise my eyebrows questioningly. "What?"

"Eat every…last…bit." I'm sure I'm smiling like a fool, my cheeks burning. "There's that smile!" he says, lifting his hand and pinching my cheek. "I like making you smile."

My heart quite literally flutters in my chest. And unknown, and surprisingly new feeling. It's been a long time since I've felt that way towards anybody, and a long time since anyone has made me feel that way.

Avery comes bounding back over to us and runs straight into Peeta. "I got so much candy, dad!" he proclaims, throwing his bag in front of him. "Those people were super nice, they let me have lots of candy! I can't wait to go home and eat it!" Peeta's lips lift slightly.

"Now, you know that you can't eat all of that tonight," he reprimands, reaching out and taking the bag out of Avery's hands. Avery's face falls. "You'll rot your teeth out, you know. You've been good this year with your teeth, and we wouldn't want to start messing up your no cavities record, now would we?" Avery shakes his head and looks at the ground sadly.

"But I suppose this one time…a little bit of candy wouldn't hurt." He perks up at this, his eyes filled with hope. "But only as much as i give you, okay? Plus,— too much candy can make your stomach hurt." Peeta reaches out and tickles Avery's belly, and he quirks in response.

"You ready to go, then? That was the last house," Peeta says, motioning behind us so that we can turn around. I look at my watch, it's already 7:15.

"Yeah, we should probably go. it's getting dark, anyways," I say, looking over the top of the stroller and seeing Maria already asleep. Relief washes through me, although now I guess I'll have to wait and wash the paint off of her face in the morning.

"And you have school tomorrow, so let's go."

* * *

Avery finally, after about an hour of fighting it, reluctantly went to sleep. Peeta let him have a few pieces of candy, and even though he said no more, while he was downstairs, I snuck him a few more pieces. Peeta doesn't have to know about that.

Maria was easy, since she was already out from Trick or Treating. I layed her in Avery's old crib in Peeta's spare bedroom, since I agreed that I would stay. It took me a while to agree, because I was reluctant, and quite frankly, a little worried. I've never spent the night anywhere but Prim's, and I haven't had Maria out of her own house in a lone time.

But I agreed, and as I lean over her crib, smoothing down her dark curls that are forming at the top of her head, and watch as her tiny chest rises and falls and a small smile grace her lips as she sleeps, I can't help think that I made the right decision.

"Ahem." I turn and find Peeta leading against the door from holding up the bag of candy. I smile and shake my head. "Come on."

I follow him downstairs where we plop down onto the couch. Peeta flips the TV on to some movie that neither of us really care for. We are way too immersed in the amount of chocolate.

He dumps the bag out onto the coffee table and turns to me. "Okay so this is fair game. I get everything, and you get nothing." My eyes widen and I smack him. "I'm kidding. But seriously, you better pick fast. Because chocolate is my all time favorite, so you better be prepared to fight me." I roll my eyes.

"Bring it."

He most certainly does. Because after reaching for the last of the Snickers, he grabs my wrist and it falls to the table with a clatter. Our eyes meet before our lips touch. It was probably meant to be a playful little kiss, but it turned out to be much more as I found myself winding my arms around his neck and allowing his tongue to meet mine.

One of his hands finds purchase on my face before I feel him shift. I open my eyes, only to watch as he opens his fist in front of me, the Snickers resting on his palm. "I win."

We end up finishing the whole bag, and I feel more than stuffed when we settle down, his back against the back of the couch and my back against his chest. His arm automatically wraps around my stomach, pulling me closer to his as he nuzzles my neck. It's then, with a full belly and sleep heavy on my lids, that I fall into a deep sleep.

I'm being shaken awake. "Hey." I open my eyes slightly. It's still dark, and the TV is turned off now. Peeta kneels beside me on the floor, his hand gently running down the length of my arm. "We fell asleep." I make a noise resembling a grunt and burry my face in my hand. "Come on, I'll help you to your room." I shake my head.

"No…sleep…" I hear him lightly chuckle before I feel myself being lifted. I'm too tired to care, and let my head loll to the side, my face falling into the crook of his neck. I feel his grip tighten on me and he walks up the steps, and he only legs go with one hand when he has to open the door.

My back hit's the soft mattress, and I instantly curl onto my side, my face buried in the soft blankets that somehow smell like him. My eyes flutter open when I feel his lips pressed against my forehead, and I watch as he turns to leave.

"No…" My hand shoots out and grabs his wrists and he stops, turning back to look at me. "Stay, please." My voice is raspy, heavy with sleep, and my eyes burn with the craving to close them. "Stay with me…"

"Okay," he whispers, and I hold the covers up for him as he slides in. The fabric of his jeans rubs against my bare legs, though I don't mind in the moment. I crave sleep so desperately that as soon and he's settled, I pull him to me, threading my finders through his hair as leans down to press a kiss to my cheek. I sigh, resting my head against his chest.

And somewhere between wake and sleep, and the purply dreamland calling my name, I hear his voice in the night just as my conscience begins to shut down.

"Always."

* * *

I wake up alone, confused, and disappointed. I reach out and feel the spot beside me, and I'm only able to leech a tiny bit of heat from where he had previously resided. Rolling over, I bury my head into the pillow to escape the impeding sunlight, catching the faint smell that is so distinctly Peeta amongst the bed sheets.

I don't want to, but I have to, because realization hit's me, and I have a daughter to take care of. So groaning, I roll myself over, my limbs protesting as I swing my legs over the edge and walk towards the door.

It's quiet, still too quiet, and I catch a glance of the clock that reads only 6:10, and i can't help wonder why I'm even awake. Avery won't even be awake for another hour before school.

I aimlessly wander down the dimly lit hallway, passing both Avery and Peeta's bedroom until I finally reach the spare room. I don't hear any crying, and I let out a sigh of relief, maybe she's still asleep. So I gently turn the handle, as not to wake her, and slide through the door carefully. The shades are drawn, and it's still a little dark in the room, the only source of light from the crack of the curtains.

As I approach the crib, I stop dead in my tracks.

Not only is Maria not asleep, but she's not alone. There, in the crib, on his back, is Peeta, with a very awake Maria tapping idly against his slowly rising chest. My throat runs dry, and my heart falls into the pit of my stomach at the sight. I take a moment to appreciate the view, wishing so badly i had my phone so as to capture this moment and cherish it forever.

Maria smiles happily when she sees me, maybe a little too excited, and suddenly lurches forward and winds her tiny fingers into Peeta's hair, tugging furiously at the curls.

He jolts slightly in his sleep, his eyes fluttering open. He appears confused, at first, and then smiles when he sees Maria on his chest. He still hasn't even noticed I'm standing here. I don't dare ruin the moment.

"Hey little woman," he whispers, reaching up and sitting up against the back of the crib, plopping her down in his lap. His back is to me, so I can't see his face, but I can tell he's smiling. In response, Maria reaches out again and tugs at his mess of curls, and Peeta fakes being hurt. Maria bursts into a giggling fit, and I can't stifle the laugh that courses through me.

Peeta turns his head then, smiling at me once our eyes have met. It's impossible, really, but his eyes seem to shimmer. He waves me over, holding Maria up so to be able to climb out. I take her in my arms and rest her against my hip, placing a gentle kiss to her temple.

I step back so Peeta can climb out of the crib, and watch as he quite literally makes a scene out of it.

Once he's out, he stumbles towards me and wraps an arm around me, pulling me into his chest and placing a subtle, lingering kiss to my lips. "Good morning," he whispers.

I yawn, now, the previous state of sleep having caused me exhaustion. "Morning."

He smiles and lets out a little laugh, reaching for Maria. "I can feed her, if you want," he says, and I can't say no. "You should go back to sleep." The yawn I give next gives me away, and I look away shyly.

"I don't need to sleep, I'm fi—"

"Please, for me?" he asks, and I bite my lip as I stare at him. Why is he being so sweet?

"I…I guess I could sleep for a little longer," I whisper, and hand Maria back over. He takes her greedily, holding her close. I watch as her face lights up, her chubby hands finding purchase on his face, pulling at his cheeks. She seems so happy; content.

And so am I.

I could get used to this.

* * *

_**A/N**: Okay, so this is most definitely one of my favorite updates! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it. I always love me some good Everlark fluff._

_Stay tuned, because things are about to get pretty interesting, to say the least._


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N**: Hey guys! I was so excite to write this chapter, for reasons you'll soon find out. And I have news! Roads, yes, and unfortunately, will be coming o a close soon. We should be looking at…maybe about five more chapters before the end? And then theyre'll be an epilogue. Just wanted to warn you that it'll be ending it soon, and although that's super sad, I have good news!_

_Though, you'll have to be patient and wait for that a while longer….._

_**WARNING**\- This chapter has depictions of gore (kind of?), and **blood** at the beginning. Just a fair warning there._

* * *

My attention is directed elsewhere when I hear a loud crash, followed by an ear piercing scream that is so unmistakably Maria.

I whip my head around, searching for the source. Launching myself from my spot on the couch, I run over to where she was playing and find her lying face down on the hard wood floors. I frantically pull her into my arms, assessing the top of her head, finding a large open gash flooding with blood.

"Maria?" My voice is raw, and desperate as I push against her wound, trying to stop the blood. It doesn't stop, and in a matter of seconds my hands are coated in a thick layer.

I lay her gently on the couch and scramble to find my phone. Hurriedly, I dial 9-1-1, but nobody answers. "Hello?!" I scream.

Nothing. Silence.

"Hello?! Somebody— Please! Somebody please help me!—"

"_Katniss_!" Someone screams into the night, and I shoot straight up, my chest heaving. I throw back the covers to rush from the bed, but someone's arm holds me in place. I turn my head quickly, almost knocking noses with Peeta. He must sense something is wrong, too, for his eyes replicate my own horror stricken ones.

"Hey— Katniss, are you alright?" he asks, his hand coming to cup my check, his thumb rubbing underneath my eye to catch the tears. "Come here…" he pulls me into his arms, but I push against his chest.

"_No_— Maria. I have to go see her." I'm breathless as I throw myself out of bed and throw open Peeta's bedroom door, rushing down the hall and into the nursery. Once there, I throw open the door, not even caring if I wake her. I need to see her.

My heart beats erratically out of my chest as I rush over to the crib, and to my relief, her chest still rises and falls. A few tears escape through the corners of my eyes before I reach down and scoop her from the crib. She jostles in her sleep, wrapping her little arms around my neck before letting her head fall back into the crook my my neck. I inhale her scent deeply, relishing in the way she feels tightly pressed against my body. Warm. Breathing. Safe.

"Katniss?" I turn around and find Peeta's eyes connecting with mine from across the nursery. I walk to where he stands in the doorway and let my head fall against his chest. His arms, even though tentatively at first, wrap around me, Maria resting against his chest. "Do you wanna talk about it…?" he asks gently, his hand finding its way into my hair, gently massaging my scalp.

"Maybe in the morning," I whisper, looking up at him and taking a couple steps back. I bite my lip nervously. "Can she sleep with us tonight? I mean…I can just go sleep in the guest room her her if you don't want—"

"It's fine," he says gently, a small smile gracing his lips. In the dark, with the moonlight shining in from the cracks in the curtains, I watch his eyelashes brush against his cheeks as he blinks tiredly. He yawns, though he tries not to, and this time, I smile. "Come on, let go to bed."

Once we're back, I curl myself around Maria, her little frame pressed as tightly as possibly to my chest, my head resting just above hers. Peeta crawls underneath the covers, and although we're not as close as I would like, our legs still intertwine, and his forehead rests against mine.

"Goodnight, Katniss," he whispers, placing a gentle, lingering kiss to my temple. His eyes flutter closed, and I find myself watching his as his breathing evens out.

* * *

"_Hey_! Avery, you know what I said about _running_ in the house!" Peeta yells over his shoulder as Avery rushes past him and into the living room. "Are you trying to break your other arm?"

"Sorry daddy! I'm just real excited about my show!" Peeta huffs and rolls his eyes, turning back to the eggs on the stove. I giggle, trying to hide it from him, but he catches me. And although he glares at me, the corners of his lips rise as he shakes his head.

"Something funny?" he asks, and I shake my head.

"Nope," I say, punctuating the 'p'. "Just watchin' you parent. Thinkin' maybe I can learn a little somethin'."

He shakes his head again, fighting back a smile. I jump from my perch at the island and walk around to stand behind him, pressing my nose into his back. His t-shirt smells of flour.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his middle. I feel him reach over and place the pan containing the eggs off to the side before spinning around in my arms until he's facing me. He taps my nose playfully.

"_Well_," he begins. " I was thinking we could all go to the grocery store first, so I could buy what we need for Thanksgiving." I wrinkle my nose.

"About that— I was actually wondering if you and Avery wanted to come over to my house and have it there?" I say. Peeta's face remains stoic. "You don't have to, but Prim is coming, and I almost never get to see her and—"

"Hey," he stops me, lifting my chin. "We would love to join you."

"Really? Because you don't—" his lips seal with mine, and I instantly forget the words on my tongue. He pulls away a few seconds later, but not before I had the chance to slip my tongue into his mouth in a teasing manner.

"Totally not fair," he whispers. I raise my eyebrows.

"Oh? And why is that?" I follow his gaze behind me to where Avery sits on the floor, watching his favorite television show, and Maria toddling around in front of him. "You know why."

"Oh… because we can't do this?" I pull his head towards me, and our lips meld together perfectly. I slip my tongue into his mouth once again, and he meets mine with his own with equal fervor. My back presses against the counter as his fingers grip my hips. My stomach swoops nervously as I feel a familiar sensation coursing through me.

Our mouths release with a quiet pop. "No," he says, pressing a kiss to the hollow of my throat. My eyes flutter closed on their own accord. "Because we can't do more."

My eyes fly open. "Is that something that you want?" I ask, trying not to let my voice shake slightly.

"Well, is it not…" he trails off, and I wish he was looking anywhere but my eyes right now. Our faces still hover only inches away, and I can still feel his body pressed firmly against mine.

"It is— I mean, I do…But I don't think…I'm not ready…yet." I stammer, and I have to force myself to look away. This is humiliating.

Peeta releases my from his hold and backs away a few feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume. I shouldn't have—"

"No— no. I uh, I'm sorry. I mean…" I take a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is— yes. Eventually." He smiles, taking a couple steps and pulling me into a hug. I'm confused, but return it by wrapping my arms around his back and resting my head against his chest.

He pulls away to look at me. "Eventually." And he smiles. I return it.

His gaze flickers from me to behind me. "Look," he says quietly, pointing to the living room. I turn around, and what I find almost brings tears to my eyes.

Avery sits on the floor with Maria in front of him, pushing a toy car around on the floor. He hands it to Maria. "Here," he says. "You can play with it too. You might not like my toys 'cause they're boy toys, but you can try'an play with them if you want." Maria looks at the car questioningly before reaching out and taking it from his hand. She coos, pushing it in front of her, and Avery's face lights up.

"I think they're getting along just fine." Peeta's voice brings me back into reality, and I tear my eyes away from the pair of children. "I think they're gonna be best friends."

I nod my head and smile. "I think they already are."

"Woah," Peeta says suddenly, turning from me. "I forgot about the eggs!" I laugh and make a fake shocked noise.

"Oh no!"

He turns around and holds the spatula out in front of him defensively. "Hey! We do not make a mockery of food in this household, do you understand?" I roll my eyes and lean back against the counter.

"Yes, sir," I retort, and his eyes shine with a familiar glint before grabbing the plate from the counter.

"Breakfast is ready!"

* * *

"Corn?"

"_Ew_!"

"Green beans?"

"_Ugh_, no daddy!"

Peeta rolls his eyes and puts the can of green beans in the cart anyways. He lets out a huff, putting his hands on his hips. "Listen, bud. You gotta eat your vegetables, okay?"

"But—"

"No buts. I don't normally make you eat them, but you know I always ask you to on holidays." Avery crosses his arms and pouts his lips. Peeta looks to me incredulously, but I duck my head behind Maria's. This isn't my battle.

"Fine." Avery huffs. "But you gotta make Apple Pie!"

Peeta laughs. "Well of course! It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without my famous Mellark Apple Pie."

This piques my interest. "Famous Mellark Apple Pie?" I ask, and Peeta stops walking down the aisle.

"Oh, Katniss. I can't believe you haven't— Avery, we haven't made her an Apple Pie yet?"

"No! But we gotta! She'll love it!" Maria claps her hands together and gives me a toothless smile.

"Well, I guess I have to try it then," I say, smiling at them. "Maybe yo can share your recipe?"

Peeta's face falls. "Not a chance." He winks before walking towards check out.

Suddenly, Avery runs out the door ahead of us, through the sliding double doors, and stopping in front of the store. I adjust Maria on my hip and we follow Avery to where he has stopped.

There, in a cardboard box that reads "FREE- TAKE ONE", are Tabby cats, or rather, kittens.

"Daddy! Oh can we please have one? Please?" Avery dashes over to where we stand and clings to his fathers shirt, tugging at it desperately. "Oh please daddy?"

Peeta seems to consider it for a moment. "I don't know, Ave's. Are you sure you can take care of a kitten?" He asks, leaning over as peering into the box.

"Oh, yes! I promise dad. I'll take real good care of it." Avery sets his jaw in a determined line.

Peeta turns to me with a look of curiosity. "Are you allergic? Is Maria allergic?" I shake my head.

"I don't think so."

"Okay, well...if you promise to take care of it, then...I guess you can have one- but just one." Avery jumps once out of excitement before dipping into the box and pulling out an orange Tabby. Peeta, I'm sure, can sense the pure elated joy in his son in the moment, and I can't help but smile, even if I don't fancy cats.

Avery holds the kitten close to his chest and runs his hand along its head. Peeta bends down and mimicks his movements. "What are you gonna name it?"

"Hmm, I dunno...maybe..." Avery seems to take a moment to look the kitten over, holding it out in front of him so it's face is in front of his own. "Oh I know!" He squeals suddenly. "_Buttercup_!"

* * *

"Come on, let's get you to bed," I whisper to Maria, unbuckling her from her car seat. She lets her head fall to my shoulder and her arms curl into her chest below her chin. I peck the top of her head before shutting the door with my hip.

Her diaper bag is slung heavy over my shoulder, and once I manage to get the front door unlocked and up the stairs, I drop it on the floor by my bed.

"How about you sleep with me tonight, huh?" I ask, knowing she can't hear me. "Mommy hasn't had any alone time with you in a while." Id be lying if I said I don't miss being by myself with her. It's been nice being able to see and stay with Peeta. But sometimes I just need to be alone with my daughter.

The past few weeks we have been staying with Peeta on and off. There wasn't really a need for it, but it was a nice little time away from home. But I really do miss being alone, and spending quality alone time with Maria.

"You're getting so big," i whisper, setting her down beside me. Her eyes flutter open, and she looks as if she could start crying, but she doesn't. Instead, she stares up at me with silver eyes, her lids drooping slightly. But above all the, she reaches out and grabs the end of my brain, rubbing her fingers through the ends.

I snuggle further into the blankets, relishing in their warmth.

And suddenly, as I reach out to smooth out the dark hair on the top of her head, my mind goes to Gale, who's been gone for almost six months. He's missed so much of her growing already, and even though we've skyped, and he's talked to her over the phone, I can sense he really misses her.

"You wanna call daddy?" I ask her, and her eyes light up. "It's late, but I'm sure he'll answer.

I sift through the diaper bag and grab my phone, contemplating dialing his number, and then doing it anyways. He picks up on the third ring.

"Hey, Catnip." His voice is rough, and heavy. I must have woken him up.

"Hey," I whisper. "I think Maria misses you."

"Really?" His voice rises slightly. He sounds genuinely happy. "Put me on speaker."

"You're already on," I tell him, holding the phone between me and Maria.

"Hey baby," he coos, and she Maria pushes herself to sit up, putting her face up closer to the phone. "Daddy misses you a lot. I can't wait to see you." She claps her hands together, and I reach out a swipe a bit of drool from under her mouth.

"Are you still not going to be able to make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas?" I ask, only a shred of hopefulness in my voice. I hear him sigh on the other end.

"I'm really sorry, Catnip. We're really busy here, and we just got a really big case…" his voice trails off, and I scold myself for even hoping.

"You're going to miss her first holidays. Her first Christmas, Gale." I try and keep my voice steady, but it wavers. I run my fingers through her hair, trying to keep calm.

"I know…I really am sorry." He sounds defeated. I can't help but feeling the same. "Just a few more months, and I'll be back for her first birthday."

"A few months? Gale, that's five months away."

"I know, Kat. I know. I told you, this—"

"Yeah, I got it. A really big case." I reply angrily. I consider hanging up, but decide against it.

"I really do miss you. Both of you. I wish I was home right now." I bite my lips. When he says things like this, it causes my stomach to tighten, and guilt to flood my system.

"We miss you too. I'm sorry I got angry. I just feel…like you're missing so much. I mean…you didn't even get to see her first roll over. Or when she started to crawl?" I start rambling, but when I get myself worked up like this, it's all I can do. "You have to _promise_ me you'll be here for her first birthday. You have to promise."

"I _promise_, Catnip. You know I wouldn't miss that."

I sigh. "I really wish I did know that."

"Katniss—"

"I have to g—"

"Don't hang up. Please. We need to talk, okay?" He lowers his voice slightly. "I'm sorry about missing her first Christmas. But I swear to you, and you know i don't swear often, that I'll be there for her birthday. I promise."

"Okay," I whisper. "Okay…"

"Are you okay?" He asks, and I shake my head, even though he can't see me. Maria has slumped against the pillows, and I scoot her down so she lay flat against the bed."

"I wish you could see her right now. She's so big. And her lips do that little pouty thing that yours do when you sleep. It's cute."

"I wish more than anything I was there right now. When I get home, I'm going to hold her until I have to leave." My heart clenches. "I really do miss her. So much, Catnip."

"I know you do…I know."

"You sound tired, have you been sleeping okay?"

"Yeah, I've just been having these nightmares and—"

"Again? Why didn't you call and tell me?"

"No, these are new. Different."

"Oh…? Did you want to talk about it?" I look at Maria's peaceful, sleeping form.

"No, maybe another time. But not tonight. Thank you though."

"You know you can call me anytime. I'll always pick up the phone."

"I know."

"Maybe you should get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright." The call ends and I shove my phone back into the diaper bag, fighting off tears.

My nightmares come full force that night.

* * *

_**A/N**: Oh boy, sorry about that awful beginning. I thought I needed to start broadening Katniss, and so I decided to start adding her nightmares. Her old ones are obviously about her losing her dad, but now these new ones about losing Maria have surfaced, and they're hitting her full force._

_I'm really enjoying writing this story! And the next chapter is the Thanksgiving, and it's going to be a wild ride, so you definitely don't want to miss it. It's also going to be an extra long chapter, so it may take a little bit to get out._

_Also, my 19th birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, so I might not be able to update again until after that, but who know. I'm on a writing streak._

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Write a review, tell me what you think!_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N**: Hey you guys! Sorry if it's been a couple of weeks since I updated. I've been busy applying to Universities and getting my high-school stuff from last year transferred, so sorry! Also, I had my 19th birthday (May 6th), so I've been quite busy with that as well. But anyways, here's the new chapter :)_

* * *

"_Katniss_!" Avery flies through my front door and straight into my open arms. "Happy Thanksgiving!"

"Happy Thanksgiving, Avery." He smiles at me before we both turn when we hear something bang against the door. Peeta stands there in the door way, covered in snow.

"Peeta! Come in, come in! You're freezing!" I rush over and help him get his bags through the door, closing it with my foot once he's inside. Peeta takes off his hand and shakes his head like a dog, running his hands through his hair.

"Well, if we're going to be snowed in, I'm glad it'll be with you," he whispers so that only I can hear. He kisses me jus below my ear on the skin of my neck before turning and setting his bags down on the floor.

"Here, I can take these upstairs if you want." I offer, reaching for one of the various bags.

"That's Avery's. If you could just put it in the guest room for that would be great," Peeta says, kicking his boots off. He rummages through a different bag before pulling out a pair of nicer shoes, stuffing the snow matted boots back into the bag.

"Okay, Yeah. I guess you can put your bags in my room. But be quiet, Maria's asleep on the bed." He smiles at me.

"Sure. But I can't take any promises that I won't fall asleep with her. I'm exhausted."

"Daddy stayed up really late last night," Avery points out, and I raise my eyebrows. Peeta shrugs his shoulders.

"I might have wanted to get a head start on the desserts, so I could get extra time to spend with you outside the kitchen."

"But dad, what about the r—"

"Avery." Peeta gives his son a stern look before shaking his head firmly, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Not right now."

I swallow hard, looking between the both of them. Avery crosses his arms against his chest, while Peeta's have widen slightly. I don't appreciate secrets being held, especially if they're against me. But this one feels….good.

But I've been wrong before.

"So uh—" I clear my throat, waving towards the stairs. "I'm going to take Avery's bag up to the guest room and check up on Maria. You can bring your bags up to as well, when you're ready." Peeta nods his head.

"Okay, thank you, Katniss."

As I climb the stairs, a million different things course through my mind. Avery and Peeta both have a secret, and there's a good chance that it involves me in some way. But I just can't put my finger on why they would be keeping something from me.

Unless it's something bad.

I shake my head, warding off any negative thoughts. It can't be anything bad. Peeta wouldn't keep something bad from me.

I nudge the half cracked door open with my hip, plopping down Avery's bags down onto the floor beside the guest bed. I shake my hands at my sides before exiting and rounding the corner into my room, where I find Maria blissfully asleep between pillows.

I crawl into the bed and nuzzle myself into the sheets beside her, leaching the little bit of warmth from her that her body holds. I could almost forget that it's less than ten degrees outside.

"Hey." I turn to see Peeta standing in the door way, bags in hand. He drops them to the floor gently before striding over to the bed and crawling in next to me. He looks over my shoulder at Maria, who's chest continues to rise and fall rhythmically.

"She's beautiful," he whispers, moving my hair the the side, allowing him access to my neck. "She looks like you when you sleep." I smile.

"I blow snot bubbles in my sleep?" I ask, turning my head just enough to capture his lips with my own. "That's gross."

"Well, maybe not that…but you do have the same smile when you sleep. You know, how her lips are just barely lifted. Yours do the same thing. Sometimes I wonder what you dream about," he pauses for a moment, reaching out and tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "But I like to watch you sleep. It helps me fall asleep— eventually."

"Really?" I ask, turning back to watch Maria. "I like to watch her sleep too. Kind of puts everything into perspective for me."

"Really, how so?"

"Well, I guess I just… Find it funny how I never knew how much I wanted this."

"What's that?"

"Being a mother. At first… I had a bit of a resentment towards her. I never wanted to be a mother, and it wasn't until I felt her in my arms that it even began to feel real." I stare down at Maria as I talk, running my finger alone her cheek. "And now… I don't know what I would do without her."

I feel Peeta smile against my neck, pressing a small kiss to the flesh there before pushing off the bed and standing. "Well, you do make a wonderful mother." I turn around and meet his eyes, his twinkling with something undefinable. "Now— come with me. She'll be fine… Let's go back down."

* * *

"So you just need to kneed it like this—" Peeta takes my hands from behind me and positions them into the dough, lightly needing it into the counter top. "— it's a little sticky though, we may need to add more flour."

We take our hands from the dough, and I move to the sink to rinse my hands while Peeta flicks some more flour into it. But as soon as I turn back around, I'm met with a handful of flour in my face. I sputter, stumbling back a couple of steps before I feel Peeta's hand firmly wrap around my waist. He wipes my eyes with his thumbs, and I'm met with his wide, bright smile, right on the verge of laughing.

I scowl.

"Oh, what?" He feigns innocence, a rosy tint blushing his cheeks. "Don't like getting a little messy?"

I puff my lips, ridding the flour from my mouth. "I don't like surprises, and that was not what I was expecting to happen when I turned around." Peeta pouts his bottom lip before reaching down and cupping my cheek in his hand, running his thumb gently along my flour covered face.

"It wasn't supposed to be a surprise, per say— but a little light hazing."

"_Hazing_?" I ask, and he nods, still smiling. His thumb moves up my face to trace my eyebrow. I can feel the flour caked in them.

"You know, if you're going to cook with me, now, you've gotta be hazed. It's kind of a tradition." I roll me eyes before stepping back, my back hitting the counter top. I watch as Peeta's tongue darts out to wet his lip before dipping his head, our lips almost touching—

"_Ahem_."

I whip my head to the side, my hands behind me gripping he counter. My eyes search for the sound of the voice far too deep to be Avery's. And then I find it.

"_Gale_?" I have to shake my head to make sure I'm not seeing things. "Is that really you?" He stands in the doorway of the kitchen, looking as frozen as a block of ice. He ruffles his hair and a few stray snow flakes trickle down to the kitchen floor.

He smiles, tilting his head to the side and lifting his shoulders. "Yeah, it's really me." He opens his arms before stepping forward.

My mind doesn't even register that I'm moving until I've already stepped around Peeta and darted across the room, jumping into his open arms. My arms lock around his neck and my forehead drops to his shoulder. His arms tighten around my waist as he holds me suspended off the ground. I both feel and hear him take a deep breath, a little puff of air escaping his lips as he laughs.

"I can't believe you're here," I whisper, rubbing my nose on his coat, effectively getting a bit of flour on him. I'm sure he won't mind.

He gently sets me down, running his hands from my shoulders, down my arms. "I thought— but you said—"

"I wanted to surprise you. I know I told you I couldn't make it, but, I really wanted to surprise you." I can't help the way I automatically smile, shaking my head unbelievably.

I briefly take a glance back at Peeta, who gives me a small smile as he leans against the counter top.

"I just can't believe it— you're actually here!" I hug him again, biting my lip before pulling away. "Oh my god, you haven't— You have to see her." I tug Gale's arm, quickly pulling him into the living room.

Avery is sitting on the floor in front of the television, watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade, while Maria sits and plays with block beside him. I feel Gale tense behind me, and I turn to see his face fixated at a spot in the distance, on Maria.

"That's really…" He seems speechless, holding out his hands as his mouth hangs open. "That's really her?"

"Mhm," I whispers, moving further into the room and picking Maria up off the floor and plopping her onto my hip. "And she missed her daddy."

I turn and walk back to Gale, standing only a few inches from him. He reaches out towards Maria, who turns her head and buries her face into my shoulder. I bounce her a couple of times before lifting her head and turning it back towards Gale, who is looking at me with sad eyes.

"Go on, that's your daddy," I whisper, though I know she doesn't understand me exactly. Nonetheless, she turns her head back towards Gale and furrows her brows before hesitantly leaning towards him. He accepts her into his open arms, and I can't help but smile at the way she stares up at him, reaching up and placing her hand upon his cheek.

Gale smiles down at her, bouncing on his heels a couple of times before running his fingers through her dark hair, gently palming the back of her head. "She looks like you," he whispers, staring at me.

"No— I don't think so. I think she looks like you. Has your eyes, at least." Gale studies Maria's face as she begins to twist her fingers into his hair.

"She has your smile."

"You think so?" I ask, smiling next to her grinning face.

"Yeah, I do," he offers, kissing the top of Maria's head. She lets her hands slip from his hair before wrapping her arms around his neck, laying her head on his shoulder. He rests his head atop hers, breathing her in. I' just about to say something when I feel someone tugging on the sleeve of my shirt.

Avery stands there, motioning for me to bend down. I do, and he cups his hand to my ear and whispers, "Who's that?" His eyes go up to Gale, who's paying little to no attention to me and Avery.

"That's Maria's daddy, remember?" I whisper back, and I watch as the gears begin turning in his head. His eyes flick to Peeta, who's standing in the doorway with a quizzical look in his eyes before looking back to me with a nod. "Did you wanna say hi?"

He looks at me questioningly for a moment before stepping in front of me and reaching up and tapping Gale on the arm. Gale looks away from Maria and down at Avery, giving him a small smile, raising his eyebrows at me before.

"Yes?" he asks, shifting Maria to his hip.

'Um, you're her daddy, right?" he asks, and Gale shakes his head. "Well, hello. I'm Avery. And that's my daddy." Avery says bluntly, pointing to Peeta. "Did you know Katniss like my daddy?"

My eyes widen in mortification before I grab Avery's shoulders and point his body towards the kitchen. "Okay, that's enough of that." I gently push Avery ahead of me, shooting Gale an apologetical glance.

"I'll let you two spend some time alone." Gale's face softens, though I expected him to look disappointed. I'm taken aback that he actually looks a little…happy.

'Okay, Catnip."

I shuffle Avery into the other half of the living room where his toys are before walking back into the kitchen, meeting Peeta, completely mortified. I hide my face in his chest as he gingerly wraps an arm around my back.

"I thought you didn't like surprises." Peeta asks softly, and I feel him chuckle against me. I lift my head, scowling at him.

"This isn't funny," I mutter. "And I don't. But this… was a good surprise."

"You want us to stay?" He asks quietly, and I lift my head again.

"What? Of course I want you to stay, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, it's just that… I figured you might want to spend today just with him— Gale. It is Maria's first Thanksgiving, I didn't know if—"

"No, I want you here," I insist, holding onto his arms. "I— I want you to stay. Please? It won't be that bad, I promise. And plus, it wouldn't be fair of me to just… kick you out. I consider you both family now."

"Good," he whispers, leaning in closer to me, his breath tickling my ear. "Because I consider you my family, Katniss." His words bring my skin to gooseflesh, causing my body to shudder under his touch as he drags his fingertips down my arm, dragging his nose down the hollow of my neck.

The oven dings, sufficiently disappointing the both of us as our brief time alone for the evening comes to an unfortunate close. Peeta sighs deeply, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. "_Go_ _on_, talk to him. I l know you missed him." I eye him carefully, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth nervously. "It's okay, really, Katniss. I'll be fine. I want you to talk to him."

I sigh. "Okay. But… I'll be back soon to help you finish, alright?"

He chuckles lightly. "Alright."

I slowly pad back into the living room where I find Gale sitting on the couch, Maria fast asleep on his chest. My heart seizes instantly at the sight, and I have to keep myself still in order not to ruin the perfect moment. But it's as if he can sense me, because he cranes his neck to look behind him, a small smile gracing his lips as our eyes connect.

"Hey," he whispers. I walk over and sit down on the couch next to him, reaching over and smoothing down Maria's hair.

"I can take her to the nursery, if you want?" I offer, but Gale's are lifts up to gently rub her back.

"No, I want to hold her. I've missed out on a few months of this, remember?" He gives me a sad smile and I can't help but frown.

"I'm sorry, I sometimes forget that you left… It's weird, you know? You being here." He gives me a look and I stumble over my words. "I didn't mean— you being here isn't weird, necessarily. It just feels like you've been gone for so long that… it's—"

"It's okay, Catnip, I get it," he whispers gently, sitting up slightly. He adjusts Maria in his arms before standing. "But I am going to take her to the nursery while we talk… We can talk, no?"

"No, yeah… We— We probably should." He nods his head before disappearing up the stairs. I look over to Avery across the room, drawing something on the coffee table by the fireplace.

"Hey Ave's? I ask, and his head turns towards me. "How about you go help your daddy in the kitchen? I'm sure he might need some of your help."

"But I'm—"

"Please? I really need to talk to Mr. Gale alone." He looks at me for a moment, as if assessing the situation before nodding his head, collecting his coloring tools in his hands.

"Okay, Katniss. See you."

Gale's back seconds after Avery leaves, coming to sit next to me on the couch. He turns to me then, like he's going to speak. But he shuts his mouth. And jus before I open in to say something, he finally finds his voice.

"Can I ask you something, Katniss?" he asks, looking at me seriously. I nod my head.

"Um… yes?"

"Are you happy?"

"Am I… happy? What do you—"

"Are you happy? Does he… Does Peeta make you happy?"

I'm puzzled by his question, and for some reason it makes me nervous. I watch as he swallows hard, watching me nervously. And then suddenly, he takes my hand in his, resting it in his lap.

"Because— Katniss, you deserve to be happy. After everything that we've been through, and you specifically, you need to be happy. You deserve nothing less than that. And if he… If he really makes you happy then… you need to tell me." I know he's being completely serious, though I can't put my finger on why he's asking me this. If anything, I thought he would be upset with me.

"I…" I start, clenching my fist together. His fingers flex against mine, my palms becoming seemingly sweatier. "Yes. Peeta makes me happy. Really happy. And… he's so good with her, with Maria. And he makes me smile." Gale chuckles slightly, giving my hand a small squeeze. "You should know the most how hard it is to get me to smile."

"It's not that hard, Catnip…" he whispers, and I smile on reflex. "See?"

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I know."

"Why do you ask?" I ask, shifting on the couch slightly, angling my legs towards him.

"I just… want you to be happy, that's all."

"I am. I really am, Gale." I look up at him, now. "Are you? Happy?"

"I… I think I am, Katniss. I really do."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I met someone." I raise my eyebrows. "Madge. Her name is Madge, and I met her during lunch up in New York. She works at a Bistro right down the street from my office. I really am happy."

I grasp his hand in mind, shaking my head. "Who would have thought we would actually be happy…and okay with the other seeing other people?"

"I think we've come a long way, don't you think?" he asks, and I smile, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"Yeah, we have." I bury my face in his shirt, reveling in his warmth. "I'm really glad you came. Thanksgiving wouldn't have been the same without you."

"Is Katniss Everdeen getting sentimental?" I lift my head and glare at him, but he only gleams back at me.

"I'm just saying… I'm happy you're here. Maria deserves to have her daddy here for her first Thanksgiving."

"She deserves the world. But at least she has the best mother in the entire world." He leans forwards and hisses my cheek. "You."

* * *

_**A/N**: Okay, so I bet you guys weren't quite expecting to see Gale return this chapter, but now that he has… thoughts? Are you glad that he was so accepting of Peeta coming into their lives? Let me know!_

_Also, I have some pretty exciting news for you all… I'm continuing Roads! Roads has about 2 or 3 more chapters left, and then an epilogue. But after that, I'm writing a follow up story to Roads. It's not titled yet, but I have written up a few ideas an a bit of an outline. Some of my close friends from Tumblr know about it, and they're ore than excited. It's definitely going to be a mind blower._

_I hope you guys like that idea of me continuing Roads. Are you? Because I'm not quite ready to let these characters go. Also, I can't wait for you all to see how much they've grown and developed since the beginning. And I absolutely can't wait for you all to read the first chapter!_

_Anyways, please leave your thoughts about the follow up story. I would really love to know if you guys would be wiling to read it!_


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N**: Hey guys! Warning, heavy fluff up ahead. Hope you don't mind (I know you won't)._

_I'm sad to say that there are only about 2 chapters left after this, and then an epilogue. But that's okay, right? Because after that, the follow up story! I'm so grateful for being given this amazing opportunity to write this story for you guys, and it's honestly been an amazing experience from start to finish. Thank you for those of you who have stayed with me from the beginning, I love you all._

_Anyways, on to the story._

* * *

"Merry Christmas, Katniss."

I'm anchored by a strong arm wrapped around my waist, a steady thrum of a heartbeat pounding against my back. My eyes flutter open slowly as the purple tinted dreamland fades into dusky grey. The window across the room reveals a light snowfall through the curtains,a cool breeze licking my skin as it sifts through the slightly cracked window.

It's Christmas Day.

I sink further back into Peeta, trying to leech every bit of warmth form his body. I let my toes curl into the sheets as my face burrows into the pillow. I both feel and hear Peeta chuckle lightly behind me, trailing a finger across the expanse of my stomach, exposed only from my shirt riding up during the middle of the night.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty… It's Christmas morning." I roll my eyes, even though they're closed, sighing deeply as I turn in his arms. And as my eyes open slowly, our gazes find each others. "Good morning."

"Mmm…" It's far too early to mutter anything relatively coherent. It can't be any later than seven in the morning.

Peeta laughs, flattening his palm to my back and pulling me closer. The warmth his hand brings radiates into my own skin, and I find myself intertwining my legs with his own, burrowing further into his heated chest. The feeling of his body pressed so firmly against mine, and the smell of him that is so distinctly… Peeta, is overwhelmingly intoxicating.

His voice is but a whisper as he utters his next words directly into my ear. "I wish I could freeze this moment right here, right now, and live in it forever."

I smile against his chest, lifting my head to meet his eyes, his own holding a special twinkle of pure adoration. My face burns, the sure sign that I'm flushed from head to toe. It's as if I can feel the words on the tip of his tongue, itching to fall out of his mouth.

"Katniss, I lo—"

"—_Daddy_!"

We hear him before we see him, Avery's unmistakable heavy footed footsteps echoing down the hallway, thudding against the hardwood floors. Peeta's bedroom door flies open mere moments later, a mess of blonde curls flying through the room. He jumps and lands onto the bed with a thud, crawling over top of me to plop himself down onto his tummy between the two of us. He bounces on his knees, pushing his hands against the mattress relentlessly.

"Daddy daddy! You guys! Wake up! It's Christmas! Santa came! You have to wake up!" Peeta's face morphs into an exasperated smile before turning over to me, his eyes silently pleading an apology. He rubs a hand over his face before pushing himself up onto his elbows.

"Okay, kiddo, I'm up," he groans, running his fingers through his sons curls before sitting all the way up. "But you know who isn't?" Peeta smiles tiredly before leaning forward and whispering into Avery's ear, though still allowing me to hear as the single name leaves his lips. "Katniss."

Avery turns to me then, a glint in his eye that every six year old holds on Christmas morning. "Oh Katniss, you haveta wake up, you just haveta!" he squeals, jumping on his knees. "We have to open presents!"

"Yeah, Katniss," Peeta croaks groggily. "We haveta open presents…" Peeta's obvious avoidance of enthusiasm is evident in the way he falls back against the pillows, scooping me into his arms and burrowing his face into my neck. Avery lets out a strangled noise between out legs, and I watch as his arms fly to the mattress in exasperation.

"Ugh, _daddy_! We have to go, now!"

"Come on, Ave's, just five more minutes."

"No! Ugh! You're crazy dad!"

I giggle, thoroughly enjoying their little banter. I sigh deeply before rying myself from Peeta's arms, I sit up, stretching my arms above my head before turning to watch Peeta curl himself into the covers. Avery pouts beside him.

"Come on, Peeta," I coo, whispering to him and gently shaking his shoulder. "Lets go before Avery explodes all over the place."

"Ew, Katniss!" Avery yells, laughing only when I stick my tongue out at him. Peeta rolls over and huffs, pushing himself back up again into a sitting position. He rubs his eyes before running a hand through his messy curls.

"Fine, I'm up. Happy?" he grunts, though he leans forward and presses a soft kiss to my temple.

"Very," I whisper, placing a chaste kiss to cheek.

"Ugh, let's go already!" Avery yells, pushing himself to stand on the bed, his blue cast sticking out from under the sleeve of his oversized sweatshirt. Studying it closer, I notice it's actually Peeta's.

I make myself stand, throwing on a soft blue robe before slipping into the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth. It was a good idea to buy myself a toothbrush to leave here.

Peeta slips in a few moments later, rubbing his eyes while reaching for his toothbrush. We get ready in relative silence. I splash my face with some warm water while gently bumping my hip against his, making eyes contact through the mirror. His lips lift in a small smile as he pulls the foamy toothbrush from his mouth.

"What?" he asks, and I just shake my head.

"Nothing, you're just cute when you wake up. That's all." He rolls his eyes and spits into the sink, wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Not as cute as you," he says, reaching out and swiping the corner of my mouth with his thumb, probably ridding my lip of excess toothpaste. "How are you feeling?"

"It feels weird. Her not being here." Peeta shakes his head. "But it's understandable, and it feels…right. I'm glad Maria got to spend her first Christmas morning with her dad. Plus, it's not like I won't get to see her today. He's coming over later."

"I know," he smiles, kissing my lips. His hands move to cradle my face, his thumb caressing the underside of my jaw as he deepens the kiss. Our tongues barely touch before we hear a pair of feet bounding across the room again.

"_You_ _guys_! _Seriously_! _Presents_!"

* * *

Peeta's Christmas tree twinkles with the lights strung around it, the sunlight through the window causing them to to create a dull glow. The warmth from the fireplace radiates throughout the living room, creating the perfect Christmas morning ambience.

The floor is covered in wrapping paper as Avery finishes unwrapping the last of his presents, completely and utterly satisfied with each and every one.

"Okay," Peeta begins. "You have one more." Avery's eyes light up before contorting in confusion as Peeta stands from his spot on the floor. "Follow me."

We both follow him to the door to the garage, stopping only when Peeta speaks and tells Avery to close his eyes. "Now, on the count of three, I want you to open them, alright?" Avery shakes his head enthusiastically.

"One." He opens the door.

"Two." The light switches on.

"Three."

Avery opens his eyes, thoroughly searching the room until they land on the shiny, brand new red bicycle in the empty space beside Peeta's car. "Surprise!"

My whole body warms at the sight before me. The pure look of satisfaction on Peeta's face as Avery's eyes light up with complete joy and elation. He jumps up and down once before bolting straight for the bike, running his hands along the sleek, black handle bars.

"No training wheels," Avery says proudly, regarding the fact that not even a month ago he learned to ride without them.

"No training wheels," Peeta agrees.

I turn to Peeta, then, placing one hand on his back while wrapping my other around his front, curling my fingertips into his thick, wool sweater. Leaning my head against his chest, wrapped in his warm embrace, I whsiper, "You did good."

"I did," he agrees, leaning his head back to look at me. "But I'm not done."

"What—"

"Didn't think I could forget you, did you?" My mouth hangs open for a few seconds before he reaches up and grabs my chin. "Come on, it's freezing out here. Let's go inside." He leads me back inside the house, leaving Avery in the garage to ride his bike around the empty space.

We walk into the kitchen and I set myself at the island as Peeta walks around me to the pantry. "Hot chocolate sound good to you?"

"Maybe. Are there cheese buns?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" he asks, leaning down and opening one of the drawers beside the fridge. He stands, then, placing a nicely wrapped platter of cheese buns onto the counter in front of me. "There are always _plenty_ of cheese buns, Katniss. All you have to do is ask."

"Thank you," I say timidly, reaching forward and grabbing one. I break one in half, inhaling the beautiful scent of melted cheese. It's sends my stomach churning, and I break a piece off, plopping it into my mouth.

"Here," Peeta says, handing my a mug of hot chocolate. "They taste the best when dipped in the hot chocolate."

"Really?" I ask. "Cheese and chocolate? It doesn't sound very good."

"Just trust me," he says, peeling a piece of his bun and dipping it into the hot chocolate, swirling it around for a few seconds before dipping it into his mouth. His eyes close for a moment, as if reveling in the taste. I suppose he is.

I eye him carefully, ripping a chunk from mine and dipping it cautiously into the mug. I let it sit for a few seconds longer before hesitantly dropping it into my mouth. I chew slowly, testing the taste on my tongue. It hits me a few seconds later, the sweet taste of chocolate melding with the warm cheese, making for a perfect combination. I scowl.

"You're right."

"Oh, don't look so surprised," he mutters, repeating his ministrations. "I am the master chef, after all." I roll my eyes as he talks while he chews, walking around with his mug to sit next to me.

Our attention is turned then to the door leading into the garage when Avery strolls through, a sad look befalling his face. It's then that we see the glint of tears shimmering in his eyes. He walks over to up as Peeta hops from the bar stool, taking three quick steps before he's kneeling in front of his son.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Buttercup bit me." Avery holds out his un casted arm and shows Peeta the bite on the side of his hand. Shaking his head, he hoists Avery up onto the counter beside the sink, rustling around inside the cabinet before pulling out a box of bandaids, and antiseptic.

"It didn't hurt real bad, but it kinda burns now," Avery whimpers.

"It's alright, we'll make sure to scold him later on." Peeta finished cleaning off Avery's hand, running his hand under the steady stream of warm water before drying it off and finishing it with a bandaid. "See? All better." Peeta lifts Avery's hand, placing a gentle kiss atop the bandaged area, and Avery let's out a little squeak, wiggling as Peeta lifts him from the counter and depositing him onto the floor.

I turn around when I hear a faint mewling sound behind me, my eyes landing on the kitten, now pawing at the floor.

Avery backs himself against the counter, cowering behind his father. Peeta let's out a light chuckle before pulling Avery out from behind him. "Ave's, it's okay. It's just a little kitten. I won't let him bite you again, okay?"

"But—"

"No buts, you gotta be a man. You wanna be a man?"

Avery nods his head enthusiastically. "I wanna be a man, like you, dad!"

"Well then, first things first, you gotta learn to overcome your fears. And right now, I think that would be trying to hold Buttercup again. Let's give it a try, alright?" Peeta passes me and heads straight for Buttercup, who, on it's tiny little kitten legs, tries to scurry away from him. But Peeta's too fast, and scoops up the tiny kitten into his hand and walks back over to Avery.

"Here," he says, gently handing the kitten to Avery, who slowly takes it into his arms. "You see? Not so bad."

"He's purring," Avery whispers, running his un casted hand along his back.

"He loves you," Peeta responds, his eyes connecting with mine. "He really loves you."

* * *

I argued with Prim for almost an hour over the fact that I was definitely not going to wear a dress today. But she insisted, yelling into the phone that I just had to, because it was Christmas, and she felt it was going to be special. So I agreed, having a hard time still trying to say no to my little sister.

Sighing, I stare head on at myself in the full length mirror in Peeta's bedroom, running my hands along the waist of my above the knee length dark green dress. The long sleeves providing the perfect warmth for the cold, snowy morning, along with the black stockings I've paired with it.

"Close your eyes." I'm startled at the voice in my ear, turning slightly when I'm met with a pair of lips against my neck. I lean slightly into him as he runs one of his hands along the length of my waist, rubbing his thumb along my hip.

"I said close your eyes."

"_Peeta_—"

"Just do it," he says softly, his chest reverberating behind me in a small laugh.

I comply, closing my eyes as trying my hardest not to sneak a peek into th mirror. And when I feel something cool land on the front of my neck, lightly resting against my chest, my eyes flutter open, my hand reaching up to touch it.

A single pearl set on a simple silver chain hangs just along my collarbone. Peeta rests his chin on my shoulder, draping his arms around the front of my waist.

"Merry Christmas, Katniss." His lips travel form my jaw to my shoulder, ending just before the fabric begins.

"Peeta…" I'm at a loss for words at the simple, yet extraordinary gift. "You didn't have too—"

"_Shh_." He spins me around in his arms, out facing hovering just inches from each others. "You're too modest. Let me do something nice for you," he whispers, his eyes scanning my face.

"Peeta, you've done enough… More than enough, really." His lips lift in a half smile, hand hands trailing the length of my back, pulling me closer. Our bodies press firmly together, one of his hands cradling my lower back as his other comes to hold my face, his thumb caressing the underside of my jaw.

"I've been meaning to tell you something, but it seems like every time I get close to telling you…" his voice trails off, leaning his forehead against mine. I close my eyes, allowing myself to imagine a place in which I could have the strength to tell him what I want as well.

"But _I love_ _you_, Katniss," he whispers, and I shudder, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth. I open my eyes, staring back at him through hooded lids. The looks of pure adoration fills his features, and I know, that in this moment, I would never want to be anywhere else other than right here, right now.

"I love you so much, and I… I don't ever want to imagine my life without you in it. I couldn't bear to lose you. Because… you're it. You're my life now… you're my family now. I _love_ you." I squeeze my eyes shut, though the tears still escape. I take a shuddering breath as his thumb trails along my cheek, wiping away the tears.

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant to make you cry, I just—"

I crash my lips to his, standing on my toes and wrapping my arms around his neck. I want to feel as close to him as I possibly can in this moment, pressing out bodies tightly together. Peeta's arms soon encircle my waist entirely, his hands palming my back as if to get me closer than more humanly possible.

But it's here— _this_. The warmth that spreads throughout my entire being. The way he makes me feel wanted, loved, safe. This is what I want.

Our lips move together with ease, our tongues in a languid dance with the others. My fingers curl into the curls at the nape of his neck in order to pull him closer. He groans in the back of his throat when our hips meet, if only slightly, sending shocks of electricity down to my toes.

I pull away, then, our lips creating a popping sound as we pull away, breathless.

"_I love_ _you_," I whisper, and his eyes dilate as he stares at me incredibly. "I do— love you. I've been trying to convince myself that I don't, that I just… like you. But I can't lie to myself— to you, anymore. Because I love you, Peeta. And it scares me more than anything."

"You don't have to be scared, Katniss," he whispers, tentatively pulling me against him once more, placing a gentle kiss to my lips. "You don't have to be afraid of anything anymore. I'm here. And I love you… So please, just… be with me. Stay with me." I sigh, grateful that he didn't ask more of me. It wouldn't be right. Not right now.

"Okay…" I whisper, closing my eyes for a moment before opening them again, staring back at him. "I'll allow it."

* * *

"_Kantiss_!" Prim's screams echo throughout the hallway as she pulls me into a tight bear hug. She holds me close, swaying us back and forth before pulling away, grabbing me by the arms and looking me over. "You wore the dress."

"I did," I muter, rolling my eyes. "But only because you said it looked good on me."

"Well of course it does, everything looks good on you."

"Stop," I whisper, pulling her into another hug. I hold her for much longer, just enjoying her presence. It's been a while since I've seen Prim, and I'm glad she was able to make it here today. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Kat." I pull her away from me, holding her at arms length.

"Where's my hug?" I look behind Prim to find Gale studying up the steps, a bundled up Maria in his arms. I walk past her to Gale as he holds his free arm out, and I step into his welcoming embrace. "Merry Christmas, Catnip." He pecks the top of my head.

"Merry Christmas," I respond, holding my arms out for Maria. The heavy coat she's wearing restricts much of the use of her arms, but I'm able to tell that she's reaching out for me. Once she's in my arms I take off her coat, revealing a long-sleeved dark red dress with white tights. I guess Gale isn't inept to dressing a girl after all.

"Merry Christmas, Buggy," I whisper, nuzzling her neck. "Mommy missed you a whole lot."

"It was a little difficult getting her to sleep last night, but after about an hour she went down pretty easily," Gale intervenes, walking to stand in front of me. He smoothes his hand over Maria's head, running his fingers through her hair before placing a gentle kiss to her temple. "I don't think she liked the idea of being away from her mommy."

"I'm sure she didn't," I agree, balancing her on my hip. "But it's something she's going to have to get used to. Especially with you being all the way in New York— she's going to have to learn to be away from home." I don't particularly enjoy the idea of her being away from me, and all the way in New York at times, but I know she'll be in capable hands.

"It's okay, we'll discuss this later." I feel him tense beside me and follow his line of eyesight. Peeta walks around the corner, strolling towards us with a light smile on his face.

"Hey, " he says, walking to stand on the other side of me. "I guess you made it here alright?" Peeta asks, directing the question towards Gale.

"Oh, yeah. It took me a bit to find the neighborhood, and the roads aren't the best, but I managed." He gives Peeta a rye smile, and his jaw tenses. He's at least being civil.

"Well, that's good."

And… conversation over.

"Um, did you want to get the rest of the food ready? I can put her down for a nap and help set up," I say, effectively cutting off the stare down. Everything went so smoothly before, but the tension in this room at this moment couldn't be any thicker.

"That'd be great, Katniss," Peeta says, winding an arm around my waist. "Thank you." He reaches up and traces my bottom lip with his thumb before leaning over Maria and placing a chaste kiss to my lips. I feel him smile against my own when a strangled noise comes from Gale's throat that he tries to hide with a cough.

* * *

"So… Did you have a nice Christmas?" Peeta asks me later that night, once both Avery and Maria are asleep upstairs. The firelight flickering from the fireplace creates an amber glow to his soft curls, and I find myself reaching out and running my fingers gently through them. He tightens his hold on the blanket around us, and I curl my knees up to my chest, leaning my cheek against his chest.

"I did— I really did."

"Good," he whispers, winding his fingers into the curls cascading down my back. "I can't lie to you— this has been one of the best Christmas' I've ever had."

"Really?" I ask, leaning my head back to look at him. I'm mesmerized by the way his eyelashes brush his cheeks as he blinks down at me, the dimples in his cheeks coming out to play as his smile widens.

"Really. I'm hoping the same is true for you."

"It is," I admit, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. I inhale deeply, pressing my lips to the heated skin of his neck. His body shudders at the touch.

"I'm glad. Because I really do, Katniss— I really do love you." My hand automatically finds itself tracing the pearl that rests against my collarbone.

"I really do love you too, Peeta." I peel myself from him for a moment, the blanket falling form our shoulders. I push myself onto my knees so I'm able to look directly at him. Taking a deep breath, I try and shake the fear from my body.

"I— What I feel for you, Peeta, it's real. And… I've never felt like this towards anyone in my entire life. And in a way… I think that scares me. Loving you scares me. But i'm trying, I'm really trying to be stronger… and more open."

"Katniss…" he starts, reaching out and holding my face in on of his hands. I look away when his thumb caresses my cheek back and forth. "I can't tell you enough how much you mean to me. You… you've changed something in me. And I love you for that. I'll love you for everything."

I bite my lip, worrying it nervously between my teeth. I can feel my entire body shaking, though I try to take deep, calming breaths.

"Peeta…" I ask, fighting back a smile.

"Yeah?"

"Did you get everything that you wanted for Christmas?" He smiles, shaking his head slowly with a smile.

"Yes, how could I want anything more?"

"Well…I forgot to give you your present." He raises his eyebrows at me, his face falling slightly.

"Katniss, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I didn't" I whisper, closing my eyes for a moment.

"Then what are you—" I cut him off, launching myself forward into his arms. He falls back against the blanket strewn across the hardwood floor beside the blazing fireplace, my legs going to straddle him. My hair falls over past my shoulders, and I push it behind me before leaning down and connecting our lips. He sighs at the contact, his hands automatically finding purchase on my hips.

"—This."

* * *

_**A/N**: Well, I did it. I managed to not go months without updating._

_Also, this probably has to be one of my favorite chapters for this story. Though, yes, it only gets better from here! There's only about 2 chapters left, but then the epilogue comes after that. And then the follow up story!_

_You guys, I absolutely cannot wait to write this follow up story. I cannot express my excitement enough about it. I already have a bit of the first chapter written so once Roads ends, the new story should follow up within a few weeks to a months. So make sure to keep a lookout for that._

_Also, tell me what you thought about this chapter! Did you absolutely die when they finally said I love you? Because there are tears… all over my keyboard. And there will only be more with the next chapter (happy tears, trust me). And then the last chapter after that! I can't wait!_

_See you all next chapter!_


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N**: Hey guys! Wow, only one chapter left after this before the epilogue… And then the follow up story! I can't believe how far we've come guys, and I'm forever grateful for those of you who have stuck around this far. Props to you for putting up with my shit._

_I'll have updated information on For The Band at the end of this chapter._

* * *

"Peeta…" I groan, flopping down onto my back onto his bed, rubbing my hands over my face. "Do we have to go?"

"Come on, Katniss! Don't you think it'll be fun to see all your old friends?" I remove my hands from my eyes, only to glare at him. He chuckles lightly, sitting down next to me.

"No, it'll be miserable," I deadpan. "Plus, I didn't have any friends."

"I find that hard to believe," he whispers. I roll my eyes.

"Well, believe it. Not that I even had time for friends. Between school, and taking care of Prim and myself—" I shake my head, lifting myself into a sitting position and exhaling heavily before continuing. "Friends were pointless. They stay with you until you graduate, and then end up leaving you in the end— So no, I didn't have any friends. Therefore I have no reason to go to this stupid reunion."

"Oh, don't be so callus," he doesn't allow me time to glare before he's tossing my coat onto the top of my head. "I'm going, and you're going with me. Besides, we already arranged for Prim to babysit Avery, and Gale has Maria. The kids are already gone."

It doesn't escape me how he says "the kids".

"But Peeta—" I groan, finally sitting up. The coat falls to my lap.

"No buts. We're going. Now put on your coat."

I do, though not without disdain, shoving my arms into the sleeves and buttoning it.

"Happy?" I ask, standing from the bed. He smiles softly, walking over to me and collecting me in his arms. I fold into him, wrapping my arms around his back and leaning my head against his chest.

"Very," he says, taking a deep breath before stepping away. "Now, let's get going, shall we?"

* * *

"I thought I vowed to never step foot into this place ever again."

I follow Peeta up the steps to the front entrance, making hast, taking precautions to not fall on the ice. Though, as we pass through the door, I feel his arm slip around my waist as he holds the door open with his other hand, shaking his head.

"Come on, we're already late," he whispers hastily, guiding us down the empty hallways. I let my eyes skim over the pictures and portraits lining the walls, curiously glancing through the glass cabinets at all the sports and academic achievements. But when my eyes catch sight of a faded picture of a boy with a full, blonde head of hair and a goofy grin, I stop dead in my tracks.

Peeta runs into me from behind, exhaling heavily due to being caught off guard. "Katniss, what are you— oh my god."

"That's you," It comes out more of a question than a statement. Walking the few steps it takes for me to get to the glass case, I lift my hands to splay across the front of the glass, right below the photograph. "You and your…"

"Afro?" he chuckles, one of his hands splaying across my lower back. "I know, I didn't really care back then, you know? But I must say, it sucked having to wear a headband to all of my basketball games."

"Why did you keep it long and all in your face, then?" I ask, turning to face him. Though his hair now is effortlessly styled, and slightly slicked back giving him a more tamed look, it's hard to deny that he doesn't look even more attractive with his long hair.

He only shrugs. "I dunno. Just didn't feel like getting it cut, I don't guess."

I smirk, biting my lip. "You should grow your hair back out a little bit. Let the curls loose, you know?"

"What, you like that chubby faced curly haired teenage Peeta?"

"Maybe," I whisper, giving him a warm smile. "But you know what I can't believe?"

"No, what?"

"That I never noticed you."

"I noticed you. A lot, actually…" his voice trails off, his thumb soothing circles against my back. "Here, follow me."

"Where are we going?" I ask, accepting his outstretched hand between us, allowing him to drag me behind him. "I thought we were late?"

"What's another ten minutes. Come on!"

It takes me a while to get accused to the hallways again as Peeta drags me along behind him. We pass a few people along the way, but nobody says anything as we run past them. And it isn't until we both come to a complete stop that I realize where he's brought me.

"How did you—"

"—know where your locker was?" he asks, smiling broadly. "Well, because mine was right here." I follow to where his hand is pointing, to the locker directly across from mine. My mouth hangs open in disbelief, and I shake my head.

"No. There's no way," I say. "There's no way I went four years without seeing you."

"I don't blame you. You were…busy. And you had Gale. Understandable." I wince at the mention of Gale's name, but try and quickly push him out of my mind for the moment.

He smiles warmly before reaching out and grabbing my hand again. "Anyways... I know it pobably sound totally creepy—"

"—You saying it's going to sound totally creepy means it's probably going to be something totally creepy," I laugh. He rolls his eyes.

"Would you let me finish, woman?" I try and stifle my laugh in my free hand. "I know it may souind creepy, but… I used to watch you at your locker sometimes. Just sometimes, though. I liked to watch, and listen, to you hum to yourself after school. It was nice." I try and hide my face in embarrassment, my face blushing deep crimson.

"Which brings me to my next thing." I lift my face to see his gleaming at me, waiting for me to follow. I bite my lip, letting him drag me down yet another hallway until we stop in front of the auditorium. He pushes the door open slowly, allowing me to step inside. The doors close with a click as he flips on a light switch, the dark room beginning to glow a dim yellow. With the many rows of theatre seating, the stage set back further down, it's wide expanse of curtains drawn closed. Nothing's changed.

"This is where I heard one of the most beautiful voices that I've ever heard in the entirety of my existence. This is where I first heard you sing." He turns to me, then, his smile wider than I've ever seen. "This is where I…I knew you were the one. Anyone could have seen it. But somehow I knew…I knew that you were it. But…"

"But…?"

"But yet I never built up the courage to talk to you. And I regret it. Even to this day I regret it more than anything."

"Peeta…"

"I just let you go. I could've talked to you. Could've said something. But I didn't, and we both ended up with the wrong people. And I'm sorry."

"I'm not," I whisper, meeting his starry eyes. He blinks rapidly, confusion coursing through him as he searches my face. "Peeta… without the people we ended up with… without Gale, and without Delly…we wouldn't have Maria, and we wouldn't have Avery. So…I'm not sorry. I love Maria. I couldn't imagine my life without her in it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that…maybe if I had talked to you, I don't know…things could be different. That maybe—"

"—That maybe Maria would be yours and…Avery too. No, I get it. I really do…I think about that all the time." His face softens as he reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair back into my braid. I lean into his touch. "But you can't keep blaming yourself for it. It's not your fault. It might even be better this way."

"How could it be better?"

"This way…you won't get tired of me," I joke, but his hand falls away from my face.

"I don't think I could ever manage to be tired of you, Katniss Everdeen," he whispers both his hands coming up to grasp my cheeks, his thumbs carelessly caressing them. And as his eyes flick down to my lips, I lick them in anticipation, wishing, and waiting for him to lean down. And when he finally does, time seems to stand still.

I allow his tongue to slip inside, meeting mine with equal ferver. My hands have a mind of their own as they seemlessly find their way to wrap around his neck, my fingers winding into the soft curls at the nape. I could get lost in this man. With the way he can turn my day around by just giving me a smile, or like now, how his kisses can ensure me that I'm happy, fulfilled, and satisfied. Or the way his arms wrap around me, pulling my closer, closer, giving me the security that I know he'll always provide.

His hand comes up and rests against my neck and my breath hitches. He pulls me closer and leans in to me and I breathe in his scent. My eyes flutter closed as his lips graze mine once again, sending warmth radiating down my spine. I inhale audibly at the contact, feeling my skin set on fire and I whimper as he pulls away. I open my eyes to meet his, and he stares into me for what feels like an eternity before leaning forward again and sealing his lips with mine.  
He pulls away, leaving me breathless, my limbs shaking. The only thing securing my feet the the ground are his arms which hold me steady. He steals one last peck to my lips before lending me a soft smile, his forehead leaning against mine.

"We should go," he whispers.

"Okay."

* * *

"Peet!" A bronze haired, green eyed man calls from across the room; a fair skinned red head at his side, whom he's practically dragging towards us.

"Finnick!" Peeta bellows, raising his hand in the air. They embrace once Finnick has made his way over, slapping each others backs a couple of times before holding each other out at arms length.

"Good to see you, Peeta. S'been a while, hasn't it?"

"It's been a few weeks. But I get to see Annie here every day at the restaurant." Peeta quickly hugs Annie, giving her a warm smile before taking a couple steps back towards me and wrapping an arms around my waist.

"Finnick, you've met Katniss, I do believe." Finnick smiles brightly, taking my hand into his own and raising it to his lips.

"We meet again," he says smoothly. I can't help the slight bush that creeps across my face a the gesture, though also can't help but laugh at the way Annie slaps him across the back of the head.

"I'm Annie, the crazy one's wife. It's nice to meet you." I extend my hand out to shake, but she surprises me by pulling me into a tight hug.

They're very touchy people.

"Nice to meet you, too," I say as she pulls away. I look to Peeta, who's looking at me with a goofy grin plastered across his face, which suddenly turns striken as we hear a loud voice coming from behind us.

"Mellark!"

Whipping around, I notice our old History teacher, Haymitch Abernathy, approaching us rather quickly. Once he reaches us, he takes Peeta around the neck and pulls him into his side.

"I never though't I'd see your face around here again," he bellows. He turns to me, then, and stills, as if he's trying to gauge who I am. And it's as if a train has stricken him by the time he practically jumps out of his skin to pull me into his other side.

"Katniss Everdeen, this is quite the surprise!" He shakes his head. "Now I really thought I'd never see you again."

"Well…surprise," I laugh.

"And you're laughing? What the hell happened to you? I've never in my life seen you crack a smile!" At that, Peeta smiles, pushing away from him. Haymitch releases me as well, and Peeta accepts me into his arms.

"Okay…what the hell is going on?" he asks, taking in the sight of Peeta's arm around me. Annie smiles across from us, biting back a laugh. "Are you telling me you actually got her, Mellark?"

"What?" I ask, turning to Peeta. "What do you mean 'actually'?"

"Are you kidding me, sweetheart? This kid's had an eye out for you since freshman year." Though I'm left a little confused, I find myself smiling. I remember about what Peeta had told me earlier, and it makes my heart swell just thinking about it.

"Well, he got me," I smile, leaning into his side. Peeta places a small kiss to my temple, and I can feel him smiling against my skin.

"Well I'll be damned— got any of them little critters running around yet?" Peeta stiffens momentarily, and although it may not be noticeable to anyone else, I notice.

"Yeah, uh—" he glances at me for a split second before licking his lips. "I've got a son, and, she's got a daughter."

"Ah," Abernathy breathes, shoving his hands into his pockets. I assume he's going to leave the rest alone, since he seems to have checked out of the conversation for now. "Well, I better get going. Wilson's gon' have a fit if I don't help him serve the food." He gives us a nod before walking away.

Peeta squeezes my hip. "You wanna get something to drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks though." I smile.

"No problem. But I'll be right back, I'm parched." He kisses my temple before walking towards the drinks, leaving me alone with Finnick and Annie.

"So…" Finnick begins, rocking on his heels. "Getting pretty serious with Mellark, eh?" Annie slaps him on the shoulder.

"Finnick!"

"What? It's just a question."

I bite my lip. "I…I guess so. I mean…I think? I don't really like to discuss personal things like this with other people."

"Fine. Then…How's little Maria? That's her name, right?" he asks, and I shake my head.

"Yep. And she's good. Great, actually. She's with her father right now."

"Gale. Hawthorn, innit?"

"Yeah. He's trying to squeeze as much time he can with her until he leaves back for New York in a few weeks. Though he'll be back for her first birthday in April." I shake my head, remembering that she'll actually be one soon. "You have a son, correct?"

"Yes, Finn. He's uh… he's a handful. He loves Avery, though. They see each other almost every day after school," Annie says.

"Avery likes to talk about all the trouble they like to get into."

"Don't even get me started."

* * *

"Care to dance?"

The gymnasium is practically empty, save for a few stragglers, and the janitor who seems to be getting more and more aggravated by the second that not everyone is gone yet.

"Peeta, everyone is gone. And there's no music."

"Just imagine that there is, and dance with me," he whispers, pulling me to the middle of the floor. He takes me into his arms, one on my lower back, and the other holding my hand in his. I shake my head, but place my other hand on his shoulder anyways. "Besides, we never went to Prom together."

"I didn't go to Prom at all."

"My point exactly," he says, leading me in a sway.

"You aren't anything but traditional," I laugh, leaning my cheek against his shoulder while we sway to the silence in the room.

"Pardon me for wanting to spend a little more time with you."

"You know I want to spend time with you," I say. "But I don't want to get in trouble."

"Trouble? Katniss, we're just dancing."

"But you know how those janitors are…or at least how they were. They hate people staying late while they're trying to clean."

It's as if on cue that there's a crash, followed my an aggravated grunt. One of the men cleaning dropped a table near us, and Peeta pulls me in closer to his body while we assess the situation. The anger on the mans face rises when he looks at us.

"Damn kids. Would ya leave already?" he half yells, throwing his hands in the air. Peeta's hand goes to my back, pushing me ahead of his slightly.

"Go, go!" he whispers, pushing me out the double doors and into the hallway. "Keep going."

We are both giggling as we run down the halls, slipping and turning before we finally make it outside. We burst through the doors and into the parking lot. It's pouring rain.

"Peeta!" I yell, reaching for the handle to his car door. It won't budge. "Peeta! Unlock the car!"

"I wasn't done with you!" he yells over the rain. I squint, trying to figure out if he's serious or not. Though I find out he is when I notice his hand outstretched for me. "I want to finish our dance!"

"Are you crazy? It's pouring, and I'm soaked!"

"Good! Then you're already wet! Now harm no foul!" I roll my eyes at how ridiculous he is being. But I don't deny him, placing my hand in his and letting him pull me against him. Our clothes cling to out bodies, but Peeta doesn't seem to care about the rain at all, much less the thunder that booms above us.

"You're crazy!" I yell, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Maybe. But nothing if not traditional," he mocks, resting his forehead against my own.

"I love you being traditional." He smiles, then.

"Can we be cheesy?" he asks, and I pull away, confused.

"What?"

"Kiss me."

I raise my eyebrows.

"Come on, kiss me! In the rain, you know? It's in like…every romance mov—"

I quiet him, unwrapping my arms from around his neck and holding his face in my hands in order to pull him into me. He sighs, his hands moving to grip my hips, though slipping against my soaking wet jacket. The kiss is full of messy lips and clumsiness as we try to keep of footing, only slipping momentarily as he moves to lean me against his car.

"I love you," he mutters between kisses. His tongue meets mine in a calm battle, both of us taking our time to explore each other while we have the time. Languidly moving against each other. My hand find themselves curled into the hair at the base of his neck, pulling him closer. Always closer.

We pull away with a pop, breathless.

"I love you too," I whisper.

"We're going to be so sick." I watch the way his breath forms in the cold air. It can't be colder than 40 degrees right now.

"That's okay, we'll take care of each other," I say, running my hands down the front of his rain soaked jacket. "Because that's what we do."

"That's what we do," he agrees.

* * *

_**A/N**: Okay you guys, I am so completely excited for the next chapter. I promise you that besides the epilogue, this is going to be the best chapter yet. Just you wait! I couldn't wait to get this chapter finished so as to get started on the next one right away._

_I'm so sad that this is ending, but it's not really, because of the follow up story. As for Roads, sure, that's ending, but in a whole, the story get's to continue, and that's what counts!_

_Okay, also, For The band isn't on a hiatus, per say, it's just taking me a while to write. I'm trying to follow my outline that I have, and right now the words just aren't flowing. I'm sure you all understand. But I promise it'll be up within the next couple of weeks._

_Please leave a REVIEW and tell me what you thin is going to happen next chapter? ;)_


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note**: _Well, here it is. The final chapter. And I know it's not technically the end because we still have the epilogue, but for now, it's the end. I wouldn't have been able to do this without all of your endless support, and your rave reviews. Your support means so much to me, and I'll be forever grateful._

_Now, this chapter is going to be a little longer than the rest, probably due to the amount of work I'm putting into for you guys, and also because I want this to be absolutely perfect. I love you all, I hope you enjoy the chapter._

_Also, little heads up for those who don't like mature content, this chapter most definitely has mature content._

**_I'm rating this chapter M._**

* * *

"Is there anything else that you need me to do before I leave?" Gale asks, sitting down at the table beside me.

This whole situation feels weird. Us. Talking civilly. We haven't even fought the entirety of his stay, which is really saying something considering he's been around Peeta and I quite a bit these last few weeks. But we've handled our own, working around each other, both taking care of Maria together.

"I don't think so," I say, giving him a small smile. He returns it.

"I still can't believe how big she's gotten," he whispers, looking through the doorway, Maria's sleeping form splayed out across the couch. "You've done really well with her, you know."

"Thank you."

"I'm being serious. I…I didn't think it would ever be like this. Me and you. But here we are."

"Hmm?" He turns to face me.

"As parents, you know. I always imagined us married with her, maybe another child. But…the way things played out, it still makes me happy just to know that you're happy."

"Gale…"

"Let me finish, please?" he asks gently, taking my hands into his own stronger ones. I allow it. "I know I wasn't there for you when you needed me, and I'm sorry. I am, truly. I understand now that I wasn't the husband that you needed me to be. I should have been there for you, I should have done more. But Katniss…even though we're divorced, and trying to raise Maria to grow up and be the best she can be, I can see it now. You're happy. You're happy now and that's what matters to me the most to me. And…" He takes a breath, looking into my eyes and suddenly, I feel as if I'm drowning.

"I love you. I'll always love you. And I need you to know and understand me when I tell you that no matter what happens, I'll be there for you. I may not always be _here_, but I'll try my damned hardest to be a better father, and a better man to you, Katniss." He squeezes my hands gently, running his thumb along my knuckles.

The tears well up in my eyes and this time, I don't stop them from falling. They roll down my cheeks in plump rivulets, coating my skin in a layer of salty tears that continue past my chin. Gale reaches out, then, swiping his thumbs along the top of my cheeks. My whole body shudders under his touch, quaking gently as he shushes me, collecting me into his arms.

I've waited so long to hear those words come from him, and now I don't know how I can bear to handle it. I thought this would make me happy, and I guess on some accord I am, really, that he's finally giving me this consolation. But deep down this means so much more to me than just words of compromise. It's a promise. A promise that things can, and will, get better. No matter our losses.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Catnip." I squeeze the hem of his sweatshirt in my hands, my head resting against his chest. Inhaling deeply, I try and slow my breathing, the feeling of his hand running smooth circles along my back the only thing holding me to reality at this moment. "I just wanted to let you know that I care. I care so deeply, Katniss."

I lift my head from his chest, searching his eyes and his face. "I love you. You know that I love you. I always will. And though it may no be the same as it used to be, just know that you'll always hold a special place in my heart." I take a deep breath, running my hand along the end of my braid nervously. "You're Maria's father, and you'll always be welcome into my home."

"Thank you," he whispers. He gives me a smile so genuine, the dimples in his cheeks show for once in such a long time. "Thank you." He pulls me closer, his arms wrapping around my waist, his face buried into the crook of my neck. I hug him back, my arms snacking around his body.

And for the first time in a long time, I'm truly happy to have him by my side.

* * *

"So I was thinking," Peeta begins, walking around the kitchen Island, pouring each of us some more hot chocolate as I tear a chunk of cheese bun off the loaf and dip it in my mug. "I want to go out tonight."

"Do you know how busy it's going to be tonight? It's New Year's Eve," I protest. "Plus, we've gone out almost every night this week."

"I know we have, but what's one more night?" he shrugs, sitting himself next to me on one of the bar stools. "I wanted to take you down to the lake, you know? They always have a huge fireworks ceremony down at Lake Union, through to New Year's."

"If you haven't noticed, we both have children that in no way can stay awake past midnight," I mutter. "Also, I'm not taking Maria near fireworks. She's still a baby."

Peeta shakes his head. "That's not— hear me out." He turns to me, then, holding his hands together. "I may have already gone about doing this myself— knowing that you would say no if I asked you first— I asked Prim if she could keep both Avery and Maria overnight so I could take you out."

"What? Peeta, all night? Gale's already had maria all week, and this was the first night I was going to have back with her. I don't know that I want to be away from her another night."

"It's just one more night. I promise. Please, Katniss?" he pleads. He blinks rapidly, pouting his bottom lip. I shake my head, trying my hardest, but failing, to resist a smile.

"Fine."

* * *

"Co-conspiritor," I say when Prim opens the door. She looks from me to Peeta with a pleased smile spreading across her face. "I hope you're happy, going behind my back like that."

"Oh Katniss, lighten up!" she says, rolling her eyes. "This'll be fun for you, I promise." Her gaze stills on Peeta a little too long. Long enough for me to know they're up to something. I shift on my feet, then, their gazes breaking apart. Prim reaches out for Maria, who's safely nestled in my arms. I hold her away, though, and Prim raises her eyebrows.

"At least let me say goodbye to my daughter?" I ask, taking a step towards the door. "May I?" Prim shuffles away from the door, holding it open, and allowing the three of us to step through.

"Daddy, am I staying with Prim tonight?" Avery asks, and I bounce Maria in my arms, trying to soothe her back to sleep.

"Yes, Ave's. Prim is going to take very good care of you, alright?" Peeta murmurs, kneeling down in front of his son, and rubbing his hands down his arms. "And maybe, if you're good, she'll let you have some ice cream. Isn't that right?"

Prim smiles, crossing her hands against her chest. "Well, that was supposed to be a surprise, but I do suppose I have some ice cream." Peeta gives her and apologetic smile before standing back up.

"I'm gonna go lay her down, alright?" I say to Prim. She shakes her head, motioning towards her bedroom. She follows me down the dimly lit hallow, flicking on a small nightlight once we enter her room.

"I put the crib in here so that Avery could have the guest room," she starts, rubbing her arms. It's then that I notice a draft coming from the air vents, and remember to wrap an extra blanket around Maria's sleeping form. "Plus, I thought you would feel better if she was sleeping in here with me."

I turn to her, then, sighing heavily. "Look, Prim. It's not that I don't trust you, or something like that. I just…I miss her, you know? She's been staying with Gale almost every night since he's been back, and it's hard for me, alright?" I admit. There's a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, but as soon as it appears, Prim's got me wrapped in her arms.

"Shh, it's okay, Kat," she whispers, running her hand up and down my back. "It's okay, alright? I understand."

"Thank you," I whisper. She pulls away, still holding onto my arms.

"That's what sisters are for, right? To support each other."

"Right."

"I'm going to take good care of her, alright? Don't worry," she assures, rubbing my arms. "And one more thing before you go." I raise my eyebrows. "Have fun tonight, alright?"

I nod my head, but then remember earlier. "You two are hiding something, I can feel it."

"Oh you and your conspiracy theories." She rolls her eyes, but I can see it in her face. "Just go, have fun. Don't keep Peeta waiting. I think he's waited long enough."

"What's that supposed to mean—"

"Just go."

* * *

"This spot is perfect."

I look to Peeta with confusion. "I thought we were going downtown? That's where all of the festivities are."

"Well…" he drags on, pulling me through a clearing in the trees. He drove us down a path that I'd never seen before, hidden by trees on both sides. He'd parked off to the side, dragging me out of the car in a rush. "My dad used to bring me here when I was as small as Avery. It was kind of our little secret. You know, the only place he could take me to get away from everything." I nod my head, allowing him to lead me through the clearing. "I thought I would bring you."

"Oh," is all I can say. As soon as we are through the clearing, we arrive at a little clear spot of land, with a clear view of Seattle in the distance.

"You see, there's the Space Needle. That's where some of the fireworks are shot off of, so we'll still have a clear shot of everything." Even through the darkness of night, I can see his broad smile as he smiles down at me. "Plus, it's private. We have this whole area to ourselves."

"Well…" I start, a smile creeping to my lips. "If there's one thing I love the most, it's privacy. You know I hate crowds."

"Which is exactly why I chose this spot," he whispers, leading me closer to the water's edge, but far enough back that we won't get wet. "I also just wanted to spend some time alone with you. It's not very often that we get to experience this…quiet."

"You realize it won't be quiet for that long. Fireworks are very loud," I say pointedly.

"Yes I know. But for now…I get to enjoy just…being with you."

"Oh no, you're not going to get sappy on me, are you?" I ask. He pats the ground, asking me to sit down next to him. I do, and he pulls me into his arms. He sighs as I sit in his lap, allowing my head to fall against his shoulder.

"If you'll allow it, then yes."

I shake my head, letting my hand roam the front of his jacket. "I'll allow it."

I feel Peeta take a deep breath beneath me, and I lift my head to look at him. His eyes twinkle against the stars in the sky, and for a moment I ask myself how I ever got so lucky. This man treats me as if I hung the moon. And for whatever reason, I don't feel so burdened by it.

"Katniss, where do I even begin?" he asks, shaking his head. I bite my lip, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Start from the beginning," I say. "Say what's on your mind."

He takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. It's as if I can see the universe laid out before me, his eyes holding the key to the deepest parts of myself. He searches my face for what seems like an eternity, his arms circling around me, holding us together. When finally, he speaks.

"Katniss, from the moment I saw you, I knew. I knew you were it. And in the moment, I wasn't thinking clearly. I was ahead of myself. Back then…I had this whole idea in my head that I would come up to you, say hello, and then we would be together forever." He stops for a moment, swallowing hard. I can feel his pulse racing even though his clothes. "Obviously, I was living in some kind of alternate universe whereas everything was perfect. And I realize now that that isn't the case. Not by a long shot."

"Peeta…"

"I know now that…If you really want something, then you have to fight for it. And Katniss, I fought for you. I still am. But I've had to learn a few things along the road, that whether I liked it or not, I was going to end up hurt." He looks away for a moment, closing his eyes. "I've learned that it's the best people who get hurt in this world. It's the one's with the kindest hearts, and the purest souls. And you, Katniss, have the kindest heart out of anyone that I have met in my entire life. You make me a better man, a better person overall."

"Peeta, what—"

"And I am so, so sorry that you've been hurt. Even if you're still hurting, I'm going to do everything in my power to keep that from ever happening to you again. I'm sorry that I'm so late. I'm sorry that I wasn't there when you were hurting the most. That when you felt as if you couldn't take it anymore, I wasn't there to take away the pain." His voice breaks at the end, and my hand find purchase on his face, forcing him to look at me. Our eyes connect, and even through the darkness, I can see the pain in him.

"Peeta, in no way is it your fault. Any of it. We've both been hurt. I can garuntee you that we are both in for a lifetime of hurt. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and see the good that can come of it. And Peeta, you're good. You are the goodness that I need in my life. Without you, I don't know where I would be right now." I stop for a moment, taking a short breath. "Do you realize how important to me you are, Peeta? Do you realize how much you mean to me?"

He shakes his head. "You mean the world to me, Peeta. You're my everything. _Everything_." A single tear rolls down my cheek, but I wipe it away with the back of my hand. "You make me realize that, with you, it can be good again."

"Oh, Katniss…" he breathes, taking my face in his hands. He peppers tiny kisses underneath my eyes, kissing away the saltiness. "You have no idea what you mean to me."

"I—"

"No, let me," he pleads, still holding my face in his gentle hands. "Katniss, you are my life now. And dammit if it does't scare the hell out of me for how deeply I care about you." I smile, my eyes becoming blurry. "You are, in a single sense…My life. The love that I possess for you knows no bounds. What I feel for you, Katniss, it's extraordinary. I never in my life thought that I would ever be able to know such a feeling. But I've learned a lot, and you…you've completely changed me. Made me into a better person, a better father, and a better man for you."

I bite my lip, shaking my head. "Peeta…"

He lifts me up, helping me stand before taking my hands in his. The tears I've been holding back fall freely down my face, now, completely coating my cheeks.

"I've made myself a list of some changes that I want to make this year, and I intend to follow each and every one of them." He inhales deeply, his eyes searching mine in the dark. "And one of the first changes… is making you my wife."

My eyes widen, then, as he kneels down in front of me. Lights appear in the sky, suddenly, followed by booms that cascade through the night sky. Neither of us pay mind to it, though, our eyes never leaving each others. And even through the hazy film that coats my eyes, I watch as he pulls a small black box from his coat pocket, holding it open towards me.

"_Katniss Everdeen, will you marry me?_"

I lose it, then, my entire body shaking. I shake my head furiously, not even getting a moment to say yes before he's up, pulling me into his arms. It's then that I notice that he is shaking as well, his arms encircling my waist. Warmth radiated from the spot where his lips just barely touch my neck, and I know, in this moment, I will not be the first to let go.

"_Yes,_" I murmur against his neck. He pulls away, his eyes searching my own. "Yes, Peeta. I'll marry you."

His hands are on my face, then, his lips sealing with mine. It's wet, I can feel my tears mixed with our tongues, but I don't think either of mind all too much. Both of us too caught up in the feeling of each other. The way his hands hold me steady, how his lips make me feel like I'm floating. I'm grounded, reveling in the way he can make me feel lie an entirely different person altogether.

"I love you," he murmurs, pulling away. "I love you so much." He picks my hand up, then, both of us still breathing heavily. "May I?"

He holds the ring up to me, then, sliding it onto my finger. I lift it to my face, admiring it. It's a simple, thin platinum band, a single, round diamond inset. Simple. Perfect.

"I love you," I whisper, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him again. "Prim was in on this, wasn't she?"

Peeta shakes his head. "Yes."

"Which means…she has the kids tonight."

His smile widens.

"Peeta?" Our eyes connect. "Take me home."

* * *

We've barely made it through the front door of his house before he has be pinned against the back of the door, hand hands hastily moving to unzip my jacket. I help him, shrugging it off quickly. I work on his next, fumbling with the zipper while he kisses his way down my throat.

I push the jacket from his body, dragging my fingertips up and allowing my hands to feel every dip and groove of his body through his shirt. His lips collide with mine, taking my breath away. I open my mouth for him, feeling his tongue slide against mine.

"I've waited so long for this," he whispers, kissing me gently.

"You've been so good, Peeta," I murmur against his lips, pushing him toward the steps. "So patient." He searches my face, his glowing a dark red. "Take me to bed."

He shakes his head gently, scooping me up in his arms before ascending the steps. He pushes the door to his bedroom open with his arm, kicking it shut with his foot once we're through. He gently tosses me onto his bed, then, and when I bounce once I can't help the giggle that bubbles from my throat.

He crawls over me and captures my lips. He pours everything into kissing me as he slants his open mouth against mine. I reach up and fumble with the buttons on his shirt as he coaxes my tongue into a slow dance with his. I sigh into him, arching my back as I feel his arm encircle my waist, scooting me down a bit.

I feel his hands slide up my sides, his fingertips dancing across the exposed skin of my stomach. He freezes, then, looking into my eyes as if asking me silently. I nod my head, allowing him to lift the shirt up and over my head. I help him by lifting off the bed for a moment, before the garment is completely rid from my body. I help move him along by unclasping my bra myself, the straps falling form my arms, that too falling from my body, and onto the floor.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers, his hand hesitantly sitting across my stomach.

"You can touch me," I say.

"I know." I bite my lip, watching the way his eyes roam over my exposed body. I feel so vulnerable in this moment, yet, I feel as if it may be Peeta who's vulnerable. "When I imagined this moment, I never quite imagined it being this perfect." I blush under his stare, swallowing hard as his hand begins moving up my stomach, his thumb sliding across my pebbled nipple.

He kisses me soundly, then, and I feel him smiling against my mouth. His kisses drift away from my lips and down my neck, and I extend my neck back, exposing it to him as he kisses and sucks at my sensitive skin with more pressure. His right hand moves to cover my left breast and I feel him squeeze. I arch my back, dragging my fingertips up his chest.

"Take this off," I whisper, pulling at his shirt. He complies, fisting it in his hand and throwing it over his head in one fluid motion.

"Your turn," he mutters, sitting back on his knees as his hands work on the zipper of my jeans. I help him, once he's finished, lifting my hips and allowing him to drag them, and my underwear, down my body. Though he does so agonizingly slowly, before they finally fall to the floor with a thud.

I watch his face as he stares at me, but I'm unable to fully read his expression. His face is flooded with more than just lust, though his dilated eyes would tell me otherwise. But I see whole other side of him in this moment. That he sees this more than just sex.

He swallows hard as his fingers ghost across my skin. I gasp as he finally touches me, though, dragging his index finger up through my folds, collecting my wetness on his fingertip. His eyes connect with mine, then, before leaning up and sealing our lips, taking it as an indicationn to move on.

He breaks our kiss, then, bracing himself with his hands on either side of my head. He stares into my eyes as I wrap my hand around him and guide him to my entrance. Slowly, he pushes himself into me, and I feel a burn with every inch that he fills me. I take a large, deep breath, and he's buried himself to the hilt. My eyes squeeze shut, trying to allow myself to get used to the feel of him. To the way he makes me feel so completely and utterly complete with the world.

I feel one of his hands on my face, then, directing me to look at him. He kisses me once before pulling away. "You're so beautiful," he whispers, pulling out of me before sliding back in. I stare at him, and with every thrust of his hips our eyes don't ever leave the others.

Chills spread through my body as his thrusts become shorter and harder, leaving me breathless as his hands roam my exposed body in earnest. He plunges into me again, hitting my most sensitive spot, the world around me beginning to disappear. My vision fills with stars as he hovers above me, his hands running along my abdomen, slinking down until his thumb begins rubbing around my clit.

"Peeta!"

His face breaks out into a smile, and I reach up and trace a bead of sweat falling to the edge of his chin. My body comes to a shuddering climax soon after, though he uses his right hand to hold my left leg down as he continues to thrust into me. His breathing becomes erratic and his strokes grow wild and soon I feel him pulse inside of me. He grunts, he nuzzling his head against the inside of my neck as he finds his release.

"Katniss," he groans, his hot breath panting against my sticky skin. I reach down and curl my fingers into the curls atop his head, gently wiping away the sweat from his forehead. He rolls off of me, then, pulling me into his chest, running his nose against my neck. His lips leave a soft trail down the column of my throat, and I shudder as his hand travels the length of my waist, slipping around my waist in order to pull me closer into him. I revel in the warmth he provides, and I can feel him smiling against the skin of my neck.

"Was that alright?" he asks lightly, his fingers dancing across my abdomen.

"Yes…" I whisper, burying my face into the sheets, trying my hardest to fight sleep.

"Katniss?"

"Hmm?"

For a few moments, there's peaceful silence, his hand going to rest over the curve of my hip. I breathe in deeply, inhaling the scent of his sheets as I try and stay awake, awaiting his reply. When his voice doesn't come, I turn in his arms, our eyes immediately locking. And through the moonlight showing through the shutters of the window, I reach out and brush my fingers gently across his cheek. His eyes close on contact, exhaling as I trace my thumb along his bottom lip.

"Peeta?" His eyes open slowly, his smile faint, but ever so present.

"Yes?"

"I love you." He blinks tiredly, his body shaking slightly as he laughed silently.

"I love you too."

"We're really doing this, aren't we?" I whisper, raising my left hand and turning my ring to face him. He smiles lightly, his eyes brightening a bit.

"We are," he says lightly, leaning forward and kissing my temple.

"Together?" I ask, kissing the inside of his wrist as it comes to rest on my face.

"Together."

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Wow. That's pretty much all I can say right now, due to the fact that I'm speechless. To say that I cried while writing this chapter would be an understatement. This story, you guys, has brought me so much happiness over these past months. You all, too, with your lovely reviews and words of encouragement. Part of the reason the story has gotten this far is because of you, and I'm, so very grateful for you._

_This story, for now, is complete. We still have the epilogue, but that may take me a little longer to write. I just want it to be perfect, as I'm sure you all understand, especially if any of you are writers as well._

_I can tell you, though, that I already have some of the first chapter of the new story written, and as soon as I have the epilogue written and published, I'll get that first chapter uploaded as well. Yes, it will be a completely new story, and if you're interested in reading it, you'll need to follow that as well. It's still untitled, but as soon as I figure out the title, I'll put it on here so you all will know what story you're following._

_Thank you so much for reading._

_If you liked it, __**please leave a REVIEW**__ telling me what you thought. Did you love it? Did you cry? Let me know!_

_I love you all._


	25. FINAL UPDATE

_Roads_**— FINAL UPDATE  
**

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE—**_ Hey you all! Okay, so an added note—Roads is now complete. _

_I just published the first chapter to the follow up story, titled Crossroads. (Don't laugh, it's supposed to be funny, lol.) _

_Anyways, you can find the story on my page. If you're already following Roads, you will have to follow this one, for you won't get updates on Roads any longer. Also, you may be confused as to why there isn't going to be an epilogue. I was only going to post the epilogue if I wasn't continuing Roads, but since i've decided to continue it, I'm leaving Roads as is._

_Thank you so much for reading, and tagging along on this journey. Love you all. See you in Crossroads!_


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